MADNESS OF MUCHNESS

spring / summer 2016

Do we live to dream, or dream to live? We are all cases of parallel existence: drifting in and out, curious and satiated, cautious and reckless, sane and what’s that shape in the clouds?

Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.

At a point, this dichotomy collides inside our dream laboratory and ignites our imagination. Just like falling down a rabbit hole, we are living examples of mind-scaping experiments. Reality, after all, is just the bun of a burger, encasing something we need to bite deeper to truly appreciate: so warp around it, hover over it, giggle along-side it, dream big under it and stay one step crazier ahead of it.

Being an occasional mad-hatter might perhaps be the only way to stay sane. The madness of muchness exists, because no one is completely and hopelessly ordinary.

After all, "And what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation?"

We are our own wonderland. We're custodians to a make-believe, but concrete, yonderland.
With imagination on full throttle, nothing could be anything could be something could be everything could be so many things!
But isn't it always the case?
Like, Which dreamed it?
Curiouser and curiouser!

This madness license, and the consent of muchness is, thus, Little Shilpa's premise in paying homage to the curious world of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland for her SS16 collection: fittingly, as the year marks the 150th anniversary of perhaps one of the world's most quintessential books on fantasia, innocence, wanderlust and the occasionally surreal discourse.

Concentrating on denim as the foundation fabric, along with crepe, silk, polyester and synthetics, the basic tee is used in varied lengths like long-calf as well as uneven. Mixed pleated add-ons in the form of multiple prints and textures and laser-cut seams, accompany black & white head-pieces inspired by the theme.

"I almost wish I hadn't gone down that rabbit-hole-and yet-and yet-it's rather curious, you know, this sort of life!"