ANUBHUTI ARYA

In most ancient cultures, nature was viewed as a mother goddess, the one who nurtured and sustained all life. Take the Greek goddess Gaia for instance, from whom all existence emerges. Ancient man understood the importance of natural resources, and placed the earth at its rightful place- at the very core of all existence. As societies progressed and man moved away from nature, a strange dichotomy was born. On one hand was man- equated with power, rationale and action and on the other was woman- signifying nature, creativity and intuition. These new societies urged the empowerment of man over nature and woman. Eventually, man began to forget mother nature’s importance and started abusing her, the result of which is in front of us today.

 

The initial observation for our project came from the most obvious reality in today’s world- climate change, which has recently grown to almost apocalyptic proportions. With glaciers melting and forests burning, when kids are forced to rally on the streets on a regular basis, it is time to accept that we have entered one of the darkest ages human beings will ever face, that mother nature has finally given up on being a compassionate mother goddess, she is wrathful and she is taking matter into her own hands, and we cannot continue to live in a bubble.

 

So, on one hand we see mother nature turning into a furious goddess, but on the other we also observed that most women today are in an angry or disappointed state, not unreasonable given the centuries of trauma and abuse that they have endured. This project was born from this intuition, that all of our feminine energies are connected to the collective energy of Mother Earth, and as she turns wrathful, women too are tuning in to this frequency.

 

Eco grief is described as the collection of negative feelings such as depression or anxiety, experienced as a result of great ecological loss. We are fast losing the landscapes we grew up in and species are going extinct at an unprecedented rate, entire ecosystems are being wiped out- it is but natural for humans to mourn this loss. In the interviews we conducted, almost 96 percent of people admitted to feeling a great sense of anxiety or sadness with regard to climate change. Recently, Okjokull in Iceland, which once used to be a huge glacier, lost its glacier status. In order to mark this loss, researchers organized a ‘funeral’ of sorts for the glacier, installing a memorial plaque to highlight the loss and warn against climate change. This ceremony was attended by important dignitaries such as the Prime Minister of Iceland. Research suggests that more and more people are turning towards therapy and counselling in order to deal with mental illnesses related to eco-grief and the number is only expected to grow in the future. 

 

The colours for eco grief are earthy nudes to denote empathy, mossy greens to remind one of nature and deep, somber reds to highlight the shock of loss.

 

For a long time, the term ‘witch’ used to be a bad word. It was used to separate and hunt women who dared to be different, or even who were just financially or sexually independent. After years of enduring trauma, more and more women today are tuning in to the frequency of the divine energy of mother earth, and experiencing a mass spiritual awakening in a way. Witchcraft is being reborn and reclaimed, but this time with positive, empowering connotations. In our interviews, we spoke to a range of alternative healers, from colour therapists, to chakra healers to tarot card readers and reiki specialists, and all of them confirmed that in the recent years more and more people are realizing the importance of taking care of their spiritual health apart from their physical and mental health. These alternate spiritual practices are not just limited to a niche audience- practices that can traditionally be considered ‘witchy’ have reached mass popularity- crystals and herbs are the latest trend in the beauty industry, while yoga, meditation and manifestation have become the new tools of self-care. In any case, a new, modern kind of witch is being born- she is spiritually fulfilled, confident in her magic and sexuality and manifests her desires with ease.

 

The colours for the witch are deep blues and purples to arouse mystery and form a link to other spiritual planes, with a tone of fleshy peach to indicate joyful sexuality.

 

Women’s anger has been a taboo for centuries- Angry women were called hysterical and physically silenced into submission. But feminine anger can be an important tool for change- from suffragette to civil rights movement, female anger has fueled many important movements throughout history. In a more recent example, everyone can remember Greta Thunberg’s angry speech at the United Nations summit. Today, it is important than ever before to not hold the anger in, and to express it freely and fully.

 

The colours for this subtheme are raging reds and oranges and bold, saturated shades of blue, violet and black.

 

The archetype for this trend is Kali, the Indian Goddess of time, death and doomsday. Often associated with violence and sexuality, Kali embodies the wrathful, destructive and wild aspect of nature. The trend takes a full circle as Nature transforms herself from the calm mother goddess Gaia to the fearsome goddess Kali, ready to go into battle and thirsty for vengeance.

 

Marine Serre

Marine Serre is a young French brand that blends French couture with a sporty twist. The designer has a special love for vintage and upcycled products, and believes in engaging with recent socio-political conditions through her work. Their moon iconic moon print stands for femininity and mystical spirituality, and most of their recent collections have had an apocalyptic mood, making strong statements about climate change. For this purpose, we saw it fit to propose reclaim to the brand.

With Marine Serre, reclaim translates into a collection, with the three subthemes lending different moods to the collection.

 

With eco grief, silhouettes are slouchy and oversized, adding weight to the heavy emotion. Fabrics mimic natural textures such as moss and rocks, while dead flowers complete the look.

For witch, shimmery fabric plays with light to create magic. Silhouettes cling to the body at some places, and flow freely at others, inviting the woman to regain touch with her femininity and sexuality. Charms of pagan symbols finish the look.

For rage, the silhouettes are structured with bold shoulders. Chain accessories add aggression to finish the look.

The final look is inspired by kali. A translucent black body suit alludes to her dark skin, leaving her breasts exposed like the traditional depiction. The embroidered third eye on her forehead signifies wrath, whereas oversized gloves and boots add power.