WhisperViews: Artist Hormazd Narielwalla

Photograph by Rick Morris Pushinsky for ID

I'm always blabbing away about the intersection of fashion and art, waxing poetic and spinning my proverbial wheels on endless repeat, but rarely do I stumble across an individual in any facet of the industry that truly embodies this delicate dichotomy just right. So when an invitation to PhD candidate and Savile Row's Dege & Skinner's artist in residence Hormazd Narielwalla's exhibition entitled ‘Fairy-God, Fashion-Mother’ a series of paper collages inspired by the none other than legendary veiled visionary Diane Pernet, I knew I had to ping a few probing questions his way to learn more.

But before the interview, first up, a little about the artist as extracted from his rich and fascinating bio: Hormazd Narielwalla’s fascination of tailoring archive earned him the only International Rector’s Scholarship from the University of Arts, London at London College of Fashion. His research focuses on military tailoring patterns deriving a historical and artistic narrative on the construction of uniforms of the British Raj archived at the National Army Museum. Narielwalla is also the author of The Savile Row Cutter, the Biography of Master Tailor of Dege & Skinner – Michael Skinner and Dead Man’s Patterns, a limited edition Artist book. The book was acquired by several art collections around the world including the Rare Modern British Collections at the British Library. In October 2009, Paul Smith presented Narielwalla’s first solo exhibition at his Mayfair gallery. The concept of his artistic quest is to interpret and communicate patterns as abstract shapes of the human form; using this unique theme in his work he narrates untold tailoring stories. Narielwalla has since become the first recipient of the highly sought after International Rector’s Scholarship from the University of Arts, London. The thesis for his PhD at the London College of Fashion will focus on the uniforms of the British Raj and their construction archived at the National Army Museum.

And now about the exhibition: Starting at the juncture that Madame Pernet has eclipsed the status of mere follower of fashion to become "impossible to pigeonhole," Narielwalla responds to the changing entity that is the shaded cyber queen with collages combining paper shapes sourced from three paradoxically eclectic historical sources; reproductions of 1960s American paper dresses archived at ATOPOS cvc (a Greek cultural centre), original tailoring pattern drafts from a Victorian cutting book (from the London College of Fashion) and original Savile Row cutting patterns discarded after the death of customers. The iconic fashionista appears resplendent from the remnants of disposable dresses, antique patterns for clothes that were never made, and patterns for men whose meticulous measurements are made redundant by death. The series followed a commission for two large scale works by ATOPOS cvc for the RRRIPP Paper Fashion touring exhibition and was first exhibited in Athens, Greece at 4 Fashionshake III by Ozon Magazine.

Q&A

The Clothes Whisperer: Tell me a little about your background
Hormazd Narielwalla:  I started designing clothes when I was 16 and I had my first showcase for a reputed magazine called Citadel, where I grew up in Pune, India. I then completed my first degree in Commerce and Marketing. I then worked as a fashion stylist and journalist for the Times of Inida, Pune and Citadel amongst other periodicals in Pune. I came to study a degree in fashion design, specializing in menswear from the University of Wales, Newport. I then pursued a Masters in Fashion Enterprise at the University of Westminster, London under British designers Shelley Fox and Zowie Broach (Boudicca). We were a class of 9 – all hybrids who didn’t know where we fit in the fashion world. That is a positive as new roles can immerge and that is where I began my interest in tailoring patterns. I started looking at them as shapes and diagrams that can inspire my practice rather than make clothes with them.

TCW: How did this project come about? Why is Diane your muse?
HN: Diane herself introduced Vassilis Zidianakis the creative director of ATOPOS cvc to my work. He has acquired a vast archive of American paper dresses from the 1960’s and conceptualized RRRIPPP Paper Fashion, a touring exhibition. His intention is to invite artists, designers and makers to use the paper dresses in their work and create one off pieces for the exhibit. We then had a conversation on what kind of works I would create – and he spotted in the corner of my studio – a small drawing I had done on Diane, as a thank you. We decided it would be apt to create Diane Pernet impressions using the paper dress and the patterns from various sources. I guess it is her character and personality that drew me in as an artist. She has been a strong pillar of support and this is the second show we have worked on. The first being when she was curator of an exhibition that explored fashion and art at Scope, New York. It was inevitable that she would become my muse.

TCW: Did you approach her before or after you began the project? What did she have to say about it?
HN: I have a history with Diane – she is a true Fairy God Mother for many creatives like myself. She knew my work quite well when Vassilis and myself approached her for this project. I think she said when she saw some initial digital sketches – “This is the closest people are going to see me in color!"

TCW: Can you describe the process of executing the collages? The techniques, materials used?
HN: The beginning stages of the project were to work digitally. Her face is a vector illustration. I then digitally mixed the patterns and the paper dresses. Then each part was printed on archival matte paper, acetate and gloss. They were then carefully cut out and the energy started flowing when I ran out of pieces – I began to rip the exhibition catalogue that contained photography of the paper dresses and with actual tailoring patterns – the collages started to evolve. I liked the contrast between the mundane brown paper patterns, which has a lovely quality against the bright colors of the dresses.

TCW: I'm curious to hear more about your doctorate, can you elaborate on the "intersection between fashion illustration and art"? In your opinion, what distinguishes one from the other and when are they part and parcel?
HW: My thesis presents an art practitioner’s exploration of the uniforms of the British Raj using military tailoring pattern drafts as my raw material. Traditionally patterns are treated only as a means to the end; making clothes. Typically they are discarded once their purpose is fulfilled. Few people other than the tailor/pattern cutter have any relationship with them, as one would have with a garment. This thesis proposes tailoring patterns have been undervalued. They can be viewed as the primary historical documents of the clothing industry. Also, far from being a mechanical part of the production process, patterns can be viewed as drawings in their own right. As drawings they are unique abstractions of the human form that emerged independently of art history and significantly predate abstraction as an art practice. In this thesis they are also demonstrated to be a rich and rewarding material for a contemporary art practitioner to work with.

As a researcher-practitioner I have channelled my practice through – writing (The Savile Row Cutter), illustrations (figurative artworks – A Study on Anansi, Oscar Hodgepodge, A little bit of Klaus, A little bit of Nomi, Fairy-God, Fashion-Mother, The Raj & Hat-Parade), and art (abstract interpretations – Dead Man’s Patterns, Couture Lines, Lady Gardens, Floating in the Lay). I have a background in Fashion Design and uses strong illustrative methods to respond to my source material – i.e. the pattern. However, I argue that in certain contexts the artworks can be viewed as art. Some of the work perceived as fashion illustrations are in fact not, as I am not illustrating fashion in the sense there is no garment placed in front of me when I am creating a drawing. However, when I took the liberty of drawing designer Frederick Willems first menswear collection for Gieves & Hawkes shown at LFW – then they were nothing but fashion illustrations.

“Fairy-God, Fashion-Mother” – An exhibition of collage drawings by artist  at the Modern Pantry.

8th November – 7th January 2012

For further information about the art of Hormazd Narielwalla please visit www.narielwalla.com