Egyptian art and its use in Fashion design

Word count: 3,467

MARCH 12, 2015

Table of ContentsEgyptian civilization:....................................................................................................................................2

Significance of Egyptian art:........................................................................................................................3

Scale:.......................................................................................................................................................4

Paintings:.................................................................................................................................................4

Sculptures:...............................................................................................................................................4

Pottery:....................................................................................................................................................4

Clothing:..................................................................................................................................................5

Jewellery:.................................................................................................................................................5

Hieroglyphics...........................................................................................................................................6

Architecture:............................................................................................................................................6

The pyramids:..........................................................................................................................................6

Reason for selection:...................................................................................................................................7

Use of Egyptian art in contemporary fashion:.............................................................................................8

Chritian Dior’s “Egypt & 50’s” collection:................................................................................................9

The Balenciaga's 2009 Spring & Summer collection:.............................................................................11

Elie Tahari spring 2012:.........................................................................................................................12

LaureLuxe Couture Fashion Week 2013 collection in NEW YORK:.........................................................13

RAFAEL CENNAMO fall 2013 MBFW:.....................................................................................................14

Laurel DeWitt metal couture creations for her “LaureLuxe” brand sprin summer 2013:......................15

Illustration design:.....................................................................................................................................16

Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................17

Image reference:.......................................................................................................................................17

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Egyptian civilization: From the time of its unification until it fell to foreign domination, the history of this great civilization is divided into a series of three Kingdoms (the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms), separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods.

The Old Kingdom (c. 3150 – 2150 BCE): ushered in 1000 years of relative peace and prosperity marked by huge increases in agricultural productivity, the growing power and wealth of the pharaohs, the rise of an elite class of educated scribes and administrative officials, and stunning advances in architecture, art, and technology. Hieroglyphic writing became established during this time. And most of the major pyramids, built as tombs for the pharaohs and their consorts, were built during this time.

The 1st Intermediate Period (c. 2150 – 1975 BCE): Towards the end of the Old Kingdom, the extravagance of the pharaohs eroded their economic power and weakened their central administration. Fifty years of drought further worsen their economic woes, prompting individual nomes1 to assert themselves. Once in control of their own resources and free from their loyalties to the pharaoh, local governors began competing with one another for territorial and political power, leading to civil war between rival cities. Only when the forces of Thebes2 in Upper Egypt decisively defeated those of Herakleopolis3 in Lower Egypt were the Two Lands united again.

The Middle Kingdom (1975 – 1785 BCE): The reunification of Egypt under a centralised government led again to the restoration of stability and prosperity, a resumption of pyramid building, and a renaissance in art and literature. It also saw an increase in military activity. But once again such projects, combined with insufficient flooding of the Nile, weakened the economy and precipitated a slow decline into the 2nd Intermediate Period.

The 2nd Intermediate Period (c. 1785 – 1550 BCE): During the latter years of the Middle Kingdom, Semitic peoples from western Asia, perhaps driven by famine, settled in the Delta region and provided needed labour for the regime’s ambitious mining and building projects. They eventually seized control of the region and came to power as the Hyksos (“foreign rulers”). Forced to retreat to Thebes, the pharaohs found themselves trapped between the Hyksos. The pharaohs were treated as vassals and required to pay tribute.

The New Kingdom (c. 1550 – 1155 BCE): also referred to as the Egyptian Empire because of a new emphasis on territorial expansion initiated by pharaoh Ahmose I. After some 200 years of Hyksos rule, he gathered sufficient strength to eradicate the Hyksos, reunite Upper and Lower Egypt and eventually expand eastward as far as the Euphrates. It was an imperial stance that continued for the next 400 years.

1 Nome: was a subnational administrative division of ancient Egypt.2 Thebes: name for a city in Ancient Egypt.3 Herakleopolis: an important town in Middle Egypt.

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Significance of Egyptian art:Ancient Egyptian art is five thousand years old. It emerged and took shape in ancient Egypt, the civilization of the Nile Valley. In ancient Egypt, art was magical. Whether in the form of painting, sculpture, carving or script, art had the power to maintain universal order and grant immortal life by appealing to various gods to act on behalf of people – both in life and in death. - Expressed in paintings and sculptures, it was highly symbolic and fascinating - this art form revolves round the past and was intended to keep history alive. It refers to the canonical 2D and 3D art developed in Egypt from 3000 BC and used until the 3rd century. The. Ancient Egyptian art forms are characterized by regularity and detailed depiction of human beings and the nature, and, were intended to provide company to the deceased in the 'other world'. Completeness took precedence over prettiness. Some art forms present an extraordinarily vivid representation of the time and the life, as the ancient Egyptian life was lived thousands of years before.Egyptian images, whether statues or relief, were designed to benefit a divine or deceased recipient.

Symbolism also played an important role in establishing a sense of order. Symbolism, ranging from the Pharaoh's regalia4 (symbolizing his power to maintain order) to the individual symbols of Egyptian gods and goddesses, was omnipresent in Egyptian art. Animals were usually also highly symbolic figures in Egyptian art. Color, as well, had extended meaning - Blue and green represented the Nile and life; yellow stood for the sun god; and red represented power and vitality. Despite the stilted form caused by a lack of perspective, ancient Egyptian art is often highly realistic. Ancient Egyptian artists often show a sophisticated knowledge of anatomy and a close attention to detail, especially in their renderings of animals.

Various materials held very symbolic significance for the ancient Egyptians. Gold was regarded as divine on account of its color and brightness. In fact, the flesh of the gods descended from the sun god Re was said to be made of gold, and therefore many images of deities were formed either completely from this precious metal, or gilded to look as though made of gold. Silver also had divine associations. The bones of the gods were said to be made of silver, and it was used extensively as a symbol of the moon in mirrors and in figures of lunar gods such as Khonsu and Thoth. Many other more common materials were also symbolically important. Among stones, for example, the black coloration of basalt gave it a natural association with the underworld, while lapis lazuli was symbolic of the heavens because of its blue ground color and star-like golden specks.

4 Regalia: special clothes and decorations for official ceremonies.

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Figure 1

Scale:Ancient Egyptian art is characterized by the idea of order. Clear and simple lines combined with simple shapes and flat areas of color helped to create a sense of order and balance in the art of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian artists used vertical and horizontal reference lines in order to maintain the correct proportions in their work. Political and religious, as well as artistic order, was also maintained in Egyptian art. In order to clearly define the social hierarchy of a situation, figures were drawn to sizes based not on their distance from the painter's point of view but on relative importance. For instance, the Pharaoh would be drawn as the largest figure in a painting no matter where he was situated, and a greater God would be drawn larger than a lesser god.

Paintings:Paintings were created to decorate tombs with the intent of assisting the deceased in sustaining their lives in the afterlife. Images often depicted the deceased completing daily tasks. The Egyptians believed they would continue many of these activities in the afterlife. They were created with pigments made of minerals. Commonly used colors were red, black, blue, green and gold. The dry temperatures in the area and lack of sun in the tombs allowed many images to survive into modern times. Paintings generally depicted people or animals with a profile, or side view, of the head. The body, however, was shown from a front view.

Sculptures:Although the most well known sculptures from Egypt are the monumental sculptures, small sculptures and reliefs have also been found. Sculptures were made of stone, wood and bronze. Statues of gods were often a mixture of a human body with the head of an animal. For example, the god Horus was represented as a human male with the head of a falcon. Statuary provided a place for the recipient to manifest and receive the benefit of ritual action. Most statues show a formal frontality, meaning they are arranged straight ahead, because they were designed to face the ritual being performed before them. Many statues were also originally placed in recessed niches or other architectural settings—contexts that would make frontality their expected and natural mode.

Pottery:Ancient Egyptians used steatite5 and carved small pieces of vases, amulets, images of deities, of animals and several other objects. Ancient Egyptian artists also discovered the art of covering pottery with enamel. Covering by enamel was also applied to some stone works.

Different types of pottery items were deposited in burial chambers of the dead. Some such pottery items represented interior parts of the body, like the heart and the lungs, the liver and smaller intestines, which were removed before embalming. It was customary to craft on the walls of the

5 Steatite: a variety of soapstone.

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tombs cones of pottery, about six to ten inches tall, on which were engraved or impressed legends relating to the dead occupants of the tombs. These cones usually contained the names of the deceased, their titles, offices which they held, and some expressions appropriate to funeral purposes.

Clothing:The clothes were generally made of linen and kept simple: a short loincloth resembling a kilt for men, a dress with straps for women. These basic garments with minor variations accounting for fashion, social status and wealth did not change fundamentally throughout Egypt's history. The robes worn by both sexes in Egypt were called kalasiris. The kalasiris women wore might cover one or both shoulders or be worn with shoulder straps. Women's dresses were at times ornamented with beads. Shawls were sometimes worn during the New Kingdom.

Jewellery:In ancient Egypt both men and women wore jewelry; not only as a symbol of wealth and status, but also for aesthetic adornment, and as protection from evil. Jewelry was very popular in Ancient Egypt, no matter the social class. It was heavy and rather voluminous. The Egyptians became very skilled when making jewelry from turquoise, metals like gold and silver, and small beads. Both men and women adorned themselves with earrings, bracelets, rings, necklaces and neck collars that were brightly colored.

Those who could not afford jewelry made from gold or other stones would make their jewelry from colored pottery beads.

One creation that was specific to ancient Egypt was the gorgerine, an assembly of metal discs worn on the chest, either over bare skin or over a shirt, and attached in the back.

HieroglyphicsA hieroglyphic script is one consisting of a variety of pictures and symbols. Some of symbols had independent meanings, whereas some of such symbols were used in combinations. In addition,

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some hieroglyphs were used phonetically, in a similar fashion to the Roman alphabet. Some symbols also conveyed multiple meanings, like the legs meant to walk, to run, to go and to come. These pictograms performed a very specific function – to ensure certain gods were supplicated and rituals performed for all eternity. Hieroglyphs were written in both columns and rows, and could be read from either the left or the right, depending on the design of the text. Many art works of the period contain hieroglyphs and hieroglyphs themselves constitute an amazing part of ancient Egyptian arts.

Architecture:Egyptians were the first builders ever known to man; they taught humanity how to design and erect buildings; thus laying grounds for human civilization, urbanization and man's settlement in a specific homeland of his own for the first time in history. Ancient Egyptians reached unmatched high levels in architectural design and construction engineering. Even at present it is still hard to conceive how they could have all these buildings and structures erected with such high level of perfection and precision, using only primitive and naive tools far incomparable with modern machinery and equipment. Egyptian buildings reflected builder’s conception of things as well as the needs of the society. In building their tombs and temples, ancient Egyptians put to good use their wealth of knowledge and creative genius; almost in the same way modern nations focus their attention on improving their technological and professional capabilities.

With ancient Egyptians, construction was inseparably associated with religious rituals. Temples and tombs figured high within the main religious rituals. Certain ancient Egyptian words were used to describe architectural drawings, foundations and construction works well as the purpose of religious building. Indeed, buildings themselves with their form and decorations were stone incarnation representations of religion and rituals. According to ancient Egyptians beliefs, such buildings, made of very solid materials, had the power of giving life through the magic of simulation in this world and immortality in the afterlife, even if no religious rituals were performed there.

The pyramids:One of the most notable and lasting achievements of the Ancient Egyptians are their pyramids. The size, design, and structure of the pyramids reveal the skill of these ancient builders. The pyramids were great monuments and tombs for the kings. The Egyptians believed that a king's soul continued to guide affairs of the kingdom even after his death. To ensure that they would continue to enjoy the blessings of the gods, they preserved the pharaoh's body through the mummification process. They built the pyramids to protect the pharaoh's body, the pyramid was a symbol of hope, because it would ensure the pharaoh's union with the gods.

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Reason for selection:Egyptians created art for eternal- it was to serve a purpose and to preserve it forever, this has been the main reason for selecting this topic. Ancient Egyptians believed that rather than creating art , they were creating works of beauty that emulated from their profound reverence for the gods and ancient Egyptian art reflected this reverence. But it also reflected a great sense of order, giving rise to a distinct artistic style which remained virtually unchanged for over 3000 years. Which shows how determin they were to keep their art preserved.

Another fascinating characteristics was the specific use of colours, which reflected a sense of emotion and gave a more realistic image. For eg using green and blue for showing fertility and vegetation. Hence, maybe Egyptians were the first people to come up with the idea of colour physiology; which is not only used in paintings but also in the fashion world in this era.

The beautiful sculptures and ornaments have also been of a great interest. A basalt statue of Thutmose III is an artistic masterpiece, immortalizing the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The stance of the statue and the gaze create an effect of a graceful yet powerful king. The Nefertiti Bust made of limestone reflects elegance and beauty. Tutankhamun's Golden Death Mask is made from solid gold and is inlaid with blue glass, lapis lazuli and various semiprecious stones, making it a real masterpiece of art.

Lastly, the pyramids have always been something to inspire about. The technique used to organize and build such a huge structure in those days with any modern technology is itself something to awe about. The architecture of ancient Egypt is a great source of creating new designs for modern fashion world.

Use of Egyptian art in contemporary fashion:Egyptian influence in costumes is seen in the garment styles and also in the embroideries that adorned the garments. Its influence in fashion exists quite predominantly. While the fashion of ancient Egypt is thousands of years old, modern day fashion is much inspired by its ancient clothing styles. Modern day fashions have taken a twist on the ancient clothing styles of Egypt, and will undoubtedly continue in the years to come.

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The ancient attire of straight fitting with shoulder straps that was tied behind the neck of shoulders is now one of the most popular silhouettes in the recent fashion. Egyptian tunic style dresses and tops with belting in the waist are now being sought after by most women. High waistlines that were popular in Egyptian times are seen in fashion currently through the revival of baby doll dresses. Lightweight linen clothes worn during ancient times are followed even today. In the current day's trend, many Egyptian motives are used. The hieroglyphics, sphinxes, lotus flowers and scarab6 are seen in dresses, and other fashion related accessories also.

The black kohl eyeliner used by ancient Egyptians to darken and highlight their eyes to reflect the sun’s rays, are showcased today by both male and female models in the ramp shows. Models are seen strolling down the runways of prominent international fashion shows displaying trendy garments designed with an inspiration of elegant Egyptian clothing. Pleating and draping was a popular style followed by Egyptians.

Other Egyptian details which are used around today include red hair –Egyptians used to shave their heads in order to wear wigs or types of hats: dying their wigs in red Henna was considered trendy for young women. Loose fitting wrap around fabric for gowns which are very common in today’s world are inspired from the mummies. Use of beads and gold thread has also evolved from the egptian era. Egpytian sculptures which portrayed half animal and half human styles gave rise to feathery/ scaly textures.

Chritian Dior’s “Egypt & 50’s” collection:Various designers have come up with collections inspired by the Egyptian art. The most notable collection was launched by Christian Dior called “Egypt & 50’s” in 2004. British designer John Galliano resurrected the splendour of ancient Egypt in these dazzling couture collection for Christian Dior.

Egyptian women from slaves to scribes wore kalasiris. Court officials wore bib necklace, bracelets, arm bands, gala gown, and wig with perfume cone. Female Pharaoh wore Klaft and Postiche. Dior glamorously reinvented all styles. Galliano gave us a clear visual of ancient Egypt for the brand's couture collection, using Cleopatra as his ideal beauty. The collection was

6 Scarab: abeetle associated with Egyptian god Kepera.

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inspired by a trip to Cairo and Luxor, and consisted of lots of extravagant metallic gold and silver, crocodile leather and leopard print dresses, over-sized jeweled earrings, and beaded turtoise neckpieces. The make-up crew did a perfect job in setting the mood. The huge sparkly eye shadows gave an impression of the sun reflecting off their eyes.

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The Balenciaga's 2009 Spring & Summer collection:This displayed outfits with pleating wrapping the entire body and covering the arms in the same way as Egyptian clothing.

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Elie Tahari spring 2012:Inspired by the rich past of ancient Egyptian fashion, Elie Tahari created a collection that was glamorous and chic while still staying rather casual. The golden shine and shimmer used in the entire collection is inspired by King Tutankhamen’s funerary mask which was made of gold which reflected being god like.

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LaureLuxe Couture Fashion Week 2013 collection in NEW YORK:In this collection the dresses are mostly in golden and shimmering color. The embellishments on these dresses are with chain beads and metal objects. These outfits are consisting on long gown. These dresses are perfectly reflect Egypt traditional wear

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RAFAEL CENNAMO fall 2013 MBFW:

Rafael Cennamo combined Ancient Egyptian roots with an avant-gardian essence to create an exceptional Fall/Winter 2013-2014 collection shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This collection was one that truly made one feel as walking into a mirrored closet in Cleopatra’s tomb. The antiqued Egyptian influence oozed off of the gold-dipped ensembles eloquently.

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Laurel DeWitt metal couture creations for her “LaureLuxe” brand sprin summer 2013:

DeWitt’s inspiration for her Spring/Summer 2013 Collection was drawn from Egyptian looks and jewelry. With that, she creates a fusion of modern looks with metal accessories and jewelry of the past bringing a sexy and exotic look to the design. Her jewelry is extravagant and intricate which balances out the simplicity of the design.

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Illustration design:

Ancient Egyptian jewelry and architecture has been combined together to come up with a contemporary design. The neckpiece has been inspired by the ancient gorgerine, which is a metal neck piece. The colours and the design elements of the neck piece has been taken from Tutankhamen’s gold mask.

Pleat wrapping has been used with the metal neck piece, which signifies the way mummies were wrapped to preserve their bodies. There is a metal belt studded with gems on the waist line which fuses the upper part of the dress with the lower one.

3D pyramid shaped structures have been embedded on the lower left side of the garment. These represent the great pyramids and also gives a contemporary futuristic element, which gives a modern look to the entire dress. The lower right side consists of a drape giving a kalasiris look, which were the robes worn by Egyptian and also fuses all the other elements in the dress. The aline shape of the dress is inspired by Nefertiti’s head gear shape. The shoes are made up of elements taken from the hieroglyphics shown in the figure.

The neckpiece is made up of highly polished bronzed with stripes of deep blue colour on it. The cloth used for the drapes is light blue coloured pure silk which has excellent drapability quality. The belt is again made of highly polished bronze and studded with red and green coloured gems. The pyramids are made of aluminum frame covered with pale brown coloured thick cloth which easily stays on the frame. Aluminum has been used because of its light weight so that its easy to carry.

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