You must have seen plenty of specimens of high fashion drawing inspiration from niche, old-world art. You must have also seen as many interpretations of art, old and new, in many ways immortalising the simplest silhouettes within its frames. However, save for fashion galas at The MET and Cannes, very rarely do we see high fashion marry high art. Shalini Passi’s Venice moment captures just that, while seamlessly melding into the Floating City’s dreamy, slow-paced atmosphere.
Shalini Passi Channels the Spirit of Venice in Botany
Unlike the evergreen line from The Devil Wears Prada (2006), these set of florals do actually feel ‘groundbreaking’ just for how unabashedly experimental they are. Created by sculptor artist and painter Daniel Lismore, this look is a heady cocktail of wearable sculpture and a botanical installation, made haute couture. Any embroidery or embellishments are the least of one’s concern here – the three-dimensional aspect of it wholly takes over the eye.
The base of the ensemble falls into the template of a corseted ball gown. The off-the-shoulders bodice is cinched in an antique, ivory base laden with flowers of every shape, size and colour, representing the several stages of bloom. And before you mistake this for some good-old floral, applique work, the arrangement of mauve, crimson and soft blue petals with hints of pale foliage feels more like the illusion of a living garden. And this is the very ethos which explodes at the waist and hips of the ensemble.
Shalini Passi is draped in florals and drama (Credit: Instagram/shalini.passi)
The near-live floral arrangement intensifies in texture and visual options, across roses, peonies and wildflowers, the chaos feeling as such, but made intentional. Beyond the flowers, there’s ample pay of colour down the skirt to suggest trails of moss, cascading water and other natural elements, further bringing the ‘botany’ of this look to life, albeit organically. The look thrives on excess, yes, but no part of it feels out of place or an exaggeration in itself.
In an apparent ode to Venice, Passi holds on to a Venetian-style masquerade mask dressed in feathers and florals, adding yet another element of drama to this already theatrical look. The accessories follow suit, the sculptural floral headpiece revving this look up to all-out camp. The diamond drop jewellery too carries the essence of pastel pink florals, making for the final detail in this look, though the longer you look, a new detail is likely to reveal itself.
Shalini Passi and Art Go a Long Way Back
If there’s one person we can depend on to borrow from art for couture-purposes, just because, it has to be Passi. After all, she is an independent art patron, collector as well as the founder of platforms supporting contemporary Indian artists, craftspeople and designers. Her personal taste in frames oscillates from minimal contemporary styles to all-out maximalism. As far as her personal style goes, Passi can be safely describes as an out and out maximalist, ever-ready to experiment with cuts, colours, textures and patterns, though if we had to pick a favourite aesthetic for her based on her style file, it’d be retro-leaning. Regardless, this look for one, is easily as camp as Passi has gone.