#unstitched

WITCH WEEKLY - THE MARCH ISSUE (1983)

“Valentines is a time for loving, so learn to love yourself before you love anyone else with a new pair of shoes and a matching bag” - Camille Rowle

YOUR GREATEST LOVE AFFAIR: UNSTITCHED WITH CAMILLE ROWLE

It comes as no surprise to me this year than many of you had to be set up in order to have a date this Valentine, I myself had options and feel as though I chose the best of the best. Those of you who did not enjoy their blind dates however, no need to worry. February is gone and with it for another year are cheap chocolates in the shape of hearts, red roses that lets be honest, are no ones favourite flowers and the thought of spending another year alone. No, no need to worry at all, just sit back, relax; and watch as I rip apart your peers fashion choices. 

First out the gate on the measly list of outfits that were passable this Valentine season is Miss Claudette Delacour || @claudettedelacour. Dressed in all white maybe she was trying to send a signal to her date that she was ready to commit. Whether I am right or not I know for sure that I am ready to commit to her outfit, her white flare jeans fit her perfectly and matching it with a just as white top was bold but it worked. Paired with beach waves and another white ensemble of a two-piece underneath I wouldn't be surprised if Erik Borgin proposed on the very beach they jetted off to. 

Next up is my favourite of the day Mary Macdonald || @macmary. It’s an extremely rare event for me to set my eyes upon an item of clothing and know I have nothing like it in my wardrobe and that’s the very feeling that came across me when I set my eyes on Mary’s trousers. A thing of beauty the pink tulle frills accentuated their height perfectly and the top paired with it left me just as wanting as the bottom half did. To finish off the look the accessories and make-up did wonders for them. I wouldn't be surprised if this was to be the last year Mary Macdonald spent alone on Valentines, and if it turns out I’m wrong, then they already have a shopping date with me for next year sorted. 

Now, the shinning star of the male population of wizarding London this Valentines is Decius Flint || @deciusflint. Looking smart and chic in his suit trousers and turtleneck it made me think twice about saying my little crush on him was something that I had left behind in my Hogwarts days. The man knows how to dress to his strengths and the dark red of his jumper worked perfectly with his skin tone, the smart overcoat paired with it finished the look perfectly, making it incredibly hard to resist the man. Let me just say, if it were me on that date with him instead of Miss Yen you could rest assured that the bon bons wouldn't be the only thing my lips would be wrapped around. 

It would seem that along with Latin, dance and table manners fashion was also taught at the Flint Manor as next on my list is none other than Rosalie Flint || @foolgraves. A woman after my own heart an outfit change must be recognised and applauded at thustly. The stark contrast between her suit-like androgynous first look and her ethereal second look was both daring and delicious. Her boots to die for, her sheer puffy sleeves a dream come true. The over-the-top jewelry in the first look was bold and almost ostentatious but with a wealthy Pure-Blood date I’m sure it was appreciated. Overall this girl did well and I want the rest of you to take notes, but beware, you have to be a certain type of person to pull of a dramatic outfit change and I’m sorry to say, most of you don’t make the cut. 

Last but definitely not least is one Hestia Jones || @hextias. I am a woman who appreciates other women in power suits and that’s what Miss Jones brought me when dressing for her date. Her cream blazer and trousers were a striking contrast to the summer dresses one usually wears when going to Italy and it did the girl well. Pairing the look with a light green top and coat was an odd decision to me, someone who would always opt for pink, but it worked so perfectly with her glowing skin and dark hair. Adding the wicker bag and wedges to the ensemble changed it from an almost formal look to relaxed and inviting , perfect for a date around Rome. The final touch for me was the large straw hat, perfect for creating a barrier between herself and her date if she were unlucky enough to get someone less than satisfactory, smart move Hestia. 

That concludes another judgement day from me, please in the future do try a little harder. For those of you not mentioned in this article I hope by next Valentines you have your shit together, you never know, maybe your complete lack of style was in fact the very reason you had to be set up this year at all. For those lucky few who were mentioned, keep up the good work, don’t start to slack just because I thought one outfit was passable. 

I crown myself Queen of the Halloween party, a worthy win considering none of you peasants even made it close to what I achieved. Now, the runners up, or the Queen’s court if you will, are as follows.

Leighton Avery swayed her hips into the hall with a ‘B’ necklace that could have stood for ‘Bitches beware’ instead of ‘Boleyn’. The girl turned many heads with her short skirt and low-cut bodice. My Mother personally taught me the phrase ‘chest OR legs’ but clearly Leighton’s mother taught her the altered ‘Chest AND legs’. Either way, the girl made an impression, and just like the great lady herself Anne Boleyn, many of the male’s heads did indeed roll (across the room watching her).

Pandora Fortescue, or should I say Lady Selene looked like she was dripping with stars. She captured the elegance of the moon perfectly with a full-length tulle gown that almost had constellations sewn into it. The look was finished with sparkly shoes and makeup and a head piece shaped like a moon, so even the most dim-witted Hufflepuff knew what she was. If anyone came up to you with the annoying question of “so what are you supposed to be” I hope you smacked them over the face with your moon hat.

The next in line for my appraisal is one Mary Conrad. She came as the Lioness of Brittany, not that you should need reminding, the tight black corset and shiny red lips should haunt a lot of your dreams. She looked drop dead gorgeous in her outfit, plus, points for historical accuracy, some of you could take notes on how to do a historical figure correctly from Mary, you know who you are. The only thing that could have improved her look would be a grand entrance upon a ship, but she already knows that.

My next selection may cause a bit of controversy, but who am I to shy away from drama. Madeline Maestro looked like molten silver in her evening gown and diamond accessories, real diamonds, not costumes ones, please take note. Her depiction of a Veela was perfection, an already stunning girl made herself almost too desirable with the dewy makeup and alluring red lip. And yes, I am aware that she doesn’t actually attend Hogwarts, but for those that may have an issue with it, please take it up with yourself and your lacking costume rather than spamming my owlery.

The last female on my list is Astraea Burke. The younger Slytherin entered the Great hall and stole almost as much attention as I did. Her costume left us all in shock, a far cry from her couple’s costume of Babbity Rabbity and her cackling stump that she did with her brother the year before. She was covered in head to toe gold and she has never looked so good. The dress was a work of art, and her shoes, where did you get them? It was all topped off with a pair of golden wings, a girl after my own heart it would seem.

And now for the male population, Benjy Fenwick put almost as much effort into his costume as I did, and it really showed. He walked through the hallways, making the first and second years scream with fear, the mark of a truly scary Halloween costume. The all black suit and face mask paired with the hat and purposefully worn doctors bag made it known to everyone what he came as. Another perfectly executed historical costume, I applaud thee, half for the costume, and half for the scaring of little kids.

Elliott Borgin and Richard Wilkes came as a pair. They are seen almost everywhere together; it would seem even the cells of Azkaban. The pair of runaway convicts looked exceptional, going all out with fake tattoos and prison numbers. They looked the perfect mix of hot teenaged boy and ruffled bad guy that would make the lesser females swoon. I must say however, if they need a place to hide from the law, they could always use my bedroom.

It would seem the Burke siblings made the right choice to not come as a couple once again. Although he stuck to his favourite book of ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’ Tristram Burke went solo this year and it worked ever so in his favour. Coming as the Warlock from the ever-loved fable ‘The Warlock’s Hairy Heart’ he looked the epitome of a true gentleman. His clearly custom-made outfit reeked of wealth and looks, luring in the entire female population of Hogwarts. The dedication he had to his look impressed me, any boy that carries around a hairy heart all evening deserves to be mentioned.

My final mention is one Landon Boot. Although the boy clearly likes drama (See Rita’s article for more) his costume was simple, dignified and executed perfectly. To the untrained eye, which is most of you, he was just a boy covered in blood, but to those superior beings, like myself it was more. The charms it took to create that never-ending stream of blood was well beyond the talents of most of you, and a pair of perfectly tailored trousers never goes amiss. The boy chose his look and did it well.

I would also like to give a special thanks to all those boys that came topless. Thank you for giving us a distraction from all those that came in a less fortunate costumes, some were truly a sight for sore eyes.

To conclude, I’m going to offer you some much needed advice, a word of caution even. To the rest of you uncultured swine’s, who clearly can’t put two items of clothing together without help, no one enjoys asking the question ‘so who are you meant to be’. Save your vague muggle references and half-arsed concepts for family gatherings, the Hogwarts Halloween party deserves better than that, come on people, we’re not at Beauxbatons, DO BETTER!

“Show me your scars,

and i’ll show you mine”

but i can’t imagine all of the time

It’ll take for you to see them.

From my glory days,

to my downfalls

These scars haven’t healed,

despite the time that’s passed

But I won’t stitch them closed

It’s a deal that i have chose

So will you still love me?

Despite open wounds?

I just need you to believe who i can be

• Unstitched Sari Project by @meerasethi •

Photography and concept: TajGold

#UNSTITCHED SARI PROJECT

When I first came across the #Unstitched Sari Project by Meera Sethi, I immediately thought it was a beautiful idea. Wonderfully simple but such a powerful way to show how we’re all connected through different threads in our individual stories. 

“Unstitched: The Sari Project is an international, collaborative performance art project that takes a single unstitched piece of cloth – a 5.5 metre sari – and creates a line of community among 108 South Asians around the globe.”

When I received the sari, I was on my way to Canada and America so jumped at the chance to collaborate with my old friend, Dilrani Kaur. She styled me and shot the sari in her apartment in Dallas. Here’s how I felt... 

How comfortable do you feel wearing this sari?

Pretty damn majestic. It's really unique and super comfortable because it's cotton. I don't usually wear dark colours but I love the colourful highlights. Not something I'd usually wear but I am feeling it!

Are saris something you feel you are entitled to wear and call your own? Why or why not?

Absolutely. There is an association in the Indian classical arts that the sari is a symbol of timeless tradition. For example, you would traditionally wear a sari to attend a concert or if you were performing on stage.

I find it a genius garment that is comfortable and elegant, once you get the hang of it. It's part of Indian culture and almost a passage of womanhood. But the sari is also so versatile that you can really style it to reflect your own taste and personality.

Thinking about how you see yourself and how the world sees you, what is your relationship with the sari as clothing?

Anytime I wear a sari I feel an instant sense of power, grace and sensuality. My posture aligns but I relax into it at the same time.

My relationship with the sari is that I believe it portrays a sense of classicism and as an Indian classical dancer and advocate of Indian classical music, I feel the sari really embodies my values of simplicity, craft, detail and art. It will never go out of fashion and never look 'old'. I remember wearing my mother's silk saris that she was gifted by her family when she got married. I remember her teaching me to tie it and my mother in law and husband's grandmother giving me tips on how to tweak the material for different effects.

The sari contains stories. Memories and lives are woven into it. They embrace you as you wrap it around your body. It protects you and empowers you at once. 

Does wearing a sari challenge you in any way?

Not particularly. Different materials can be a challenge to tie. It also depends what you're doing. Sometimes it can start slipping around and shifting and then you just feel like the whole thing is going to come apart. The key is not to panic, find points in the fabric to quickly adjust and to just enjoy the way it hugs and highlights your body.

Thank you to Meera Sethi for including me in this project. Find out more about her other awesome projects online. 

WITCH WEEKLY - THE JANUARY ISSUE (1983)

“Yule is a time of giving, now give me what I want and get yourselves a new wardrobe for 1983.″ - Camille Rowle 

A YULE TO REMEMBER: UNSTITCHED WITH CAMILLE ROWLE

This years Yule ball definitely ended the year with a bang, many of you have improved since my last article and for that I am eternally grateful. I would like to think you listened to my unsolicited advise and I am the sole reason for many of your much needed wardrobe updates. Alas there are still many of you out there who’s outfits left much to be desired and so, please read the following article with a fine-toothed comb, in fact I would suggest checking it twice.

It would seem that some of our males took their being left out of my last article personally as many of them up-ed their game so much so that they can now feature in this months edition. Firstly is none other than Lucius Malfoy || @lxciuss who went from fading in to the background on All Hallows Eve to looking like he had just stepped out of 18th century Russia at the Yule ball. From the looks he was gaining from many of the female population, and lets not lie, males too the man could have given any Durmstrang boy a run for his money. His red coat was extremely striking against his pale complexion and the fur that surrounded him made sure that you couldn't help but picture yourself snuggled up inside it with the man in question. 

Next on my list of reformed men is James Potter || @jamspctter, it takes a bold man to wear full white and can I just say for all of us out there who saw him enter the Pavilion, he wore it will. His crisp white suit showed off the cooler tones of Yule, ones that I personally believe are much harder to pull off than your basic reds and greens, and so I applaud anyone who tries it (myself included, the pair of us sitting at the bar together must have looked like angels). Although, a word of warning Mr Potter, the white trousers looked much better with the ensemble than the blue pair that you seemed to have swapped with Mr Tonks || @badgepuff half way through the night. So next time please keep your clothes to yourself, unless you’re sharing them with my bedroom floor. 

Now, as much as I said green was a basic colour to wear during Yule, if you have to wear it, then do it correctly like Regulus Black || @regulus7. A Slytherin through and through I wouldn't expect any other colour choice for Mr Black this Yule but it worked well for him. Taking a slightly more traditional approach the man wore a green velvet outer coat with puff sleeves and a white shirt with frill detail to really offset the masculine features of his face. Overall the slightly feminine curves of his attire did wonders at showing just how beautiful the boy truly is. Topping it off with a holly crown to get in the spirit of Yule made him a boy I could scarcely forget, one that would make any Slytherin parents fawn over if you were to bring him home, however, with that Black family crest peaking through Gryffindor parents may not feel quite the same. 

Now time for the ladies that impressed, once again red is a basic Yule colour that I saw many of you wearing and so here’s some advice, if you are to wear red for Yule, go all out and make it pop just as Patricia Rakepick || @patrakepick did. Her Column silhouette gown showed her figure off perfectly, gracing us all with how tall and slender she is, the long sleeves and high neck redefined the meaning of sexy, proving you can gain every eye in the room without showing a single ounce of skin. Paired perfectly with her diamond encrusted ruby necklace and red shoes with diamond detailing made the girl sparkle from all the way across the room. The finishing touches being her red lips and striking red hair, well done Patricia, I can teach you no more. 

Last but not least is another striking redhead Lily Evans || @oh-evans. For years the myth ‘don’t pair pink with red’ has been haunting stylists like myself. I take personal pride over the fact that Miss Evans has dared to look outside the box, not many would. The soft pale pink dress only enhanced the colour of her hair, making her skin look even paler and making her a sight one would not want to miss. The simple design of the dress was perfect on her figure creating an almost mythical effect that could rival any Veela I know. Finishing it off with a bold eye look was almost one step too far, but because the girl has already proved her boldness I think it worked perfectly, showcasing that this girl is not one to be reckoned with.

That concludes this months article, for those of you who were not mentioned don’t come crying to me, you only have yourselves to blame and I am making it my new years resolution to not take pity on those less fortunate - in the style department - than I. You have a whole year between now and next Yule, so maybe a few of you would like to set your own new years resolutions in regards to your wardrobe, some of you should burn it all and start from scratch. Start your spring cleaning a bit early this year and you may feature in the next addition of Unstitched, but for now, have a very merry Yule and an even happier new year!