Strike a pose and flash a face! It’s time for a face fetish — the famous and the ordinary, all are making a splash in style. The creative eyes are fixed on the face phenomenon, and designer Payal Jain sounds pretty enthusiastic about the trend as she says, “Graphic faces and images are incredibly exciting to play with on the canvas of textile. One of my collections ‘Omana’ was inspired by old Mughal paintings which were digitally printed on textured silks and woven jacquards to create an old world feel with a new twist.” Relying on classic Hollywood glamour, Payal mentions Marilyn Monroe as her “it” muse. A thought later, she picks up screen goddess Angelina Jolie as her next option. The reasons she mentions: “They are gorgeous, feminine and worth flaunting.” Taking the idea further, the designer says, “I would love to recreate old fresco, murals, paintings and textile impressions on fabric in digital, graphic mediums. I would prefer to experiment with images in collages or graffiti feel, instead of going with one predictable image. Experimenting is the best part of graphic interpretation on textile.” While the Che Guevara, Bob Marley and Michael Jacksons of the world have enjoyed uninterrupted endorsement on a mass scale, the niche brigade has also woken up to the idea of making a haute face statement. Acknowledging the fact, designer Siddharth Saigal, of Wrap Studio, shares, “Graphic and quirky prints have been experimented a lot this season. My summer collection includes a Bollywood collection in which the kaftans have images of Hindi filmstars in bright colours.” Siddharth too plans to take the graphic face exploration to another level. “Next on my graphic scheme of things will be incorporating prints with the happening names from the 1960s and 1970s era. I am extending the concept to scarves and shirts as well. Previously, I have experimented with the collage formation on kaftans. Now to focus on a single personality with the inclusion of slogans and quotes sounds exciting,” he reveals. Designer Shantanu Singh of Next Episode makes his choice clear as he votes for Lady Gaga to adorn his graphic faces-centred creations. “She is not only a popular pop star, her quirky style sense makes her an ultra super stylist.” For the silhouette he adds, “I would like to use brushstroke look or a watercolour paint look and would certainly love to design jackets, skirts or some structured and futuristic garments for women in purely Western style.” While faces on dresses hit the runway at the New York S/S Fashion Week, they also created political waves as Pakistan’s Imran Khan’s political party supporters are often seen endorsing his charismtic face in checkered format on long tunics. “Faces are getting all the attention, like never before. The two-way transition of faces on the fashion and political sphere continues to go strong and each side looks happy with their interpretation. So if there’s a Che giving a revolutionary stare from a high street T-shirt, the portrait is also enjoying a Dolce & Gabbana moment on a high profile runway. The trend has beautifully bridged the gap,” reflects designer Suman Nathwani.
