The Truth About Silk

Silk is perceived as a high maintenance, demanding

Expensive, high-class, and luxurious good

 

In the 80's silk was used for high-fashion and everyday wear.

You saw silk on high-fashion runways,

At the workplace, at parties, and at social functions

 

Nowadays people feel as if they need a

"Special" place to wear silk clothing to

 

The reality is that silk is very user friendly.

It can be chic and it can be casual

It can be worn to a wedding as well

As to the office, to a family gathering, or to go shopping

It's comfortable, it allows for the body to breathe,

It absorbs moisture away from the body and it drapes nicely over any figure

 

Also, silk doesn't need to be taken to the cleaners.

As a matter of fact, if you want a synthetic fiber to match up

To the lifespan of silk, you HAVE to take it to the cleaners.

Silk on the other hand need only be gently washed at home

 

As a silk artist it is my job to reveal the truths about silk

To my potential clients

However, it's very hard to convince people of silks durability,

Its usability and low cleaning maintenance

Because people have very strong believes about silk already

 

Sometimes I also feel like I have to fight the myth

That silk is for older people, for "moms", or for the aged.

Silk is for every age, every gender, and every lifestyle.

 

It has a very mysterious look, which makes everyone desirable



2013 New Inspirations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips on how to wear a scarf or a shawl by Leyla Navab

Wearing a scarf with any outfit will add color, fun, elegance, uniqueness, and flair. A pair of jeans with a plain top immediately looks chic by adding a scarf or a shawl. The always fashionable French people love silk scarves and shawls and know how easily one can pull an outfit together to make it simply sophisticated.

Any simple outfit with a scarf can become an entirely new outfit. People will think you have a new wardrobe by simply adding a couple of scarves to compliment the items you already own.

A scarf can be used as a pocket accent on your favorite blazer or jacket. It can be used as a hair accessory to keep your hair pulled back on a hot summer day, and it can become a fun sash to wrap around your waist.

There's nothing tricky or difficult about wearing a scarf or a shawl. A scarf with a simple bow is already very Parisian and fashionable. Simply draping a shawl around your shoulders is enough to make your outfit elegant and original.

There is no one way to wear your scarf or shawl. Have fun with it and enjoy it forever because it will never go out of style and you will always be chic.

Santa Monica, California - City of Shocking Fashion

A simple morning trip to Lazy Daisy and to RiteAid produced the pictures below. It appears to be that Walmart isn't the only place that is frequented by people who like making shocking fashion statements.

If you go to Macy's right now, it is difficult to find a chic, elegant, simple, outfit for a person who wants to look well put together without sending a bold statement. Manufacturer's shape the way society dresses. I recently observed many clothing items that are age inappropriate. Manufacturer's make clothes for children that look like they belong on a young adult, and they make clothes for older women that look like they belong on a teenager.

Every designer has his or her own touch for presenting their design, color, and texture to the world.  Designers don't only make clothes; they actually distribute a point-of-view. Each design has a message and ALL fashion makes a statement.

Fashion signals the time that we are living in and what is happening around us. The way we dress sends messages about our lifestyle, our problems, our insecurities, even our level of anxiety. It talks about obesity, it talks about wanting to blend in the crowd or attempting to standout, it even talks about our political views. It can also sends a message about our state of mind regarding richness; meaning richness of the soul and how capable we consider ourselves.

Today's predominant message of fashion is, "I don't care what people think about me." This is a blatant statement of denial. It says, "I don't matter so I cannot make a fashion statement; I cannot make a statement about me; I cannot get the attention I desire; I cannot make an impact on people; I am invisible; I cannot be as beautiful as I want to be so I just won't try."

"I don't care what people think about me" is a statement of self-negligence. It is not a statement of self-confidence and it is actually far from it.

 He had a white feather on his top-hat and a long feather as an earring.

His outfit is saying to me, "I am different than the rest of the people, but I am clueless about fashion."

This lady is wearing her sports-bra on top of her gym shirt.

Her selection in layering order is saying to me, "I don't care about anyone else, and I definitely don't care about myself."

It takes effort and discipline to look presentable and the amount of effort you put into the way you look always shows.

We need to stand by our skills

Silk painting is very critical but many people do it.

The gracefulness of silk allows for mistakes and low skills to look presentable because it is so generous and lets paint spread beautifully. When people take silk painting lightly their technique remains very basic. Their silks look like they let a cat walk over them with paint on its paws. When Andy Warhol painted naked women and let them crawl on his canvas the idea was fresh and original, but he had a strong art background.

Of course, I'm old school, I appreciate refined skills. I don't believe in praising work that does not deserve praise. Being politically correct holds us back from giving clear criticism and the praises that are given hold artists back from improving their art.

As artists we need the guts to give our opinion to each other instead of giving each other hollow words.  

Leyla Navab ArtSilk

Shawl Collection

May 22, 2012

Christian Dior Spring 2012 Couture

The Christian Dior Spring 2012 Couture fashion show was one of my favorite collections. It was very classic and conservative, and it reminded me of a mix of 1950's silhouette and 1980's design. The sheer fabrics used are very feminine and the waistline was very pronouced. The colors were monochromatic but they were gorgeous. It was all very elegant, glamourous, and sophisticated.