Strreet Style Surgery in India

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/fabulous/features/329079/Break-ups-and-being-abused-in-the-street-Four-ex-housemates-reveal-what-happened-after-Big-Brother.html

Firstly sorry for not keeping up with my blog, but the time to just sit down, contemplate and type was never really there, it was full on business meetings and networking, not that I’m complaining as I am walking away with so much from this trip...
So I’m back home now, phew what an amazing experience I’ve had, I can honestly say it has been life changing!!! I’ve met the most inspiring people who have given us their time and knowledge in abundance. I’ve been back for a day or so now and I haven’t even been able to digest what I have experienced, from working in the slums teaching the street kids fashion design, which was an unbelievable experience, so humbling while also being so inspiring to me. To feeling the creative design spark being re-ignited again deep within me, through meeting Indian designers who are incorporating the most stunning Indian craft techniques within their work.

My world feels alive again, it feels sparky, I FEEL SO INSPIRED!!!!
I can make a difference while being creative.

Tuesday 2nd December (JOURNEY TO JAIPUR)

Well I’m blogging this on the 4th Dec while I’m on the train from Delhi to Jaipur, it’s a 4 and half hour trip, and we have been up since 4am after having arriving back at the hotel at 12pm from days of back to back business meetings, I’ve not had one spare min to blog or check emails, this is the longest I’ve ever been away from technology and the longest and most informative and inspiring days I have ever experienced!!!, but hay we shouldn’t complain, even tho its hard work sometimes, as we are living the life here, we are being introduced to the most amazing fashion people. I have to keep constantly pinching myself, I can’t believe it, it’s a dream. I’ve never met a more nicer and polite sector of people than here in India, their hospitality has exceeded all that I could of ever imagined.

So anyway back to the train, we are in the lushest carriage I’ve ever been in, but hay, that also isn’t hard as I’ve never travelled first class, only squashed up on un-spacious English trains. This train has massive swing back seats; I mean I can stretch my legs for England, well sorta, hehe. The train hasn’t all been nice though as after paying some men to carry our suitcases on their head!! Yes my big phat overweight one!!! This was utterly amazing to see, all our suitcases on these men’s heads!

The train journey is nearly over now we will be arriving at a new luxury hotel and then promptly setting off to visit the gem palace, yes the BLING palace which has zillions of sparkling gems, hmmm I know my magpie eye will come out but at least if I get anything it won’t take up any space in my suitcase, coz I could wear it, couldn’t I????? (great logic sissy) hehe.

So now I need to try and remember what’s been going on for the last 2 days,there has been so much, I hope I can explain most of it to you, so here goes... a whistle-stop type-tour of my Indian whirl-wind life.
So the first meeting on Tuesday (DAY2) was with David Abraham one of India’s most respected design resources for fashion and accessories as well as textile products for the home. He was so laid back and told us about how he started from small humble beings, selling scarf’s to a shop in England as that’s all the Indian people at the time could make, scaled down versions of saris. He ended up getting a contact with the Terrence Conran shop in London and the rest is well history, he now heads a very successful company employing a vast array of skilled crafts men.

So then off to a meeting that wasn’t meant to happen as we had been lined up to meet someone else but he couldn’t make it, so instead we met a young entrepreneur called Sanchit Mehra. Who runs an Indian bridal wear manufacturing company called Sarita Couture House. The stuff he was showing us was amazing, jewelled and embellished fabrics that have taken days and days or even weeks and weeks to make all by hand! I was oozzzing over them, I so want a jewelled wedding dress now, (but don’t worry rich I will get you a good deal...lol)!!!
He mentioned that he really wants to break into the UK fashion market and collaborate with UK designers to produce a UK ready fashion collection. I am seriously interested in this possibility and discussed it further with him over dinner that evening, Or I could even provide a platform to open up links with UK designers to come in to contact with this amazing craft and utilise his services. Anything seams possible on this trip the fashion world seems like my oyster again, now that’s exciting, really exciting, new crafts and age old techniques, I want to soak up the whole of the Indian skill base as well as their amazing and vibrate culture

(DAY 2) We ate lunch outside in the most beautiful Italian place, the menus here are to die for nearly all vegetarian food, I’m in heaven, the meat section is so so small on the menu, my tummy is constantly full and bloated, how am I to resist the biggest choice I have ever had and will probably ever have, hehehe

So on to our 3rd meeting on (DAY 2) we went to a type of artists hub, where we met an up and coming textile weaver, he has a free space there and employs two highly skilled weavers who painstakingly sit for hours n hours weaving amazing fabrics by hand on an old traditional loom, It was so amazing to see!!! We also got introduced to this English guy called Mike who owns the whole place, he employs local crafts people to hand make cutting edge designer furniture which he then exports all over the world to high class shops, it was unreal to see how much the designer furniture that we buy in England for grand’s n grand’s is actually costing to make, a tiny fraction of the price for eg an amazing shaped chair that sells £150 plus import duty to a shop or buyer, will sell on the market for £1.500, unreal!!! I so can’t wait till I have my own place I’m so decking it out with hand made things from India.
I told him about me, my business and my idea and he was so enthusiastic about it as he is also running a type of co-op business that supports local crafts men and pays them a fair wage. Plus he loved my accent, he hadn’t heard it for so long, he was saying just speak to me, well funny. So it’s a must I contact him, he even offered to put me up and introduce me to some people who can help especially his wife who has loads of contacts in my field. Seriously the people here are so very friendly and want to help so much, it’s so humbling and exciting to experience.
So back to (DAY 4) god its only day four, It seems like we have been here for well over a week, we so haven’t stopped I’ve never in all my life experienced this much intenseness its been a little too much at times, so tiring for us all, but we have all just had to just rise above it and survive on a few hours sleep as I would hate to miss anything as its all so amazing. I will pop in day 3 tomorrow on my way to Mumbia.... bear with me, as I ought to get the rest of today out of my head while it’s still fresh!
So off the train we get and we had some food left so myself and Kerry decided to take it off the train as not to waste it and give it to the first street person we seen, so as soon as we came out of the door there was this man on the floor who was basically a skeleton all frail like you saw on the telly when the plight of Ethiopia was brought to us, one of his legs was screwed in to a metal frame all sore and decrepitated, it was sooooooo sad, my heart sunk!!! It’s so sad remembering it now, so I gave him the food, to which he gave me the biggest smile and instantly started rummaging in the bag eating the food so fast, I do need to put these things in my blog too as these are a common part of India and the things that are now inspiring me to make my business and many new ideas work, I want to offer help and support no matter how small.

So off to our hotel we went, a quick 20 minutes change as it’s about 28 – 30 degrees here!!! Ha and it’s snowing in some places in England so I’ve heard (question for whoever is reading this, “can you see your breath in the morning” hehe I reckon you can...lol
So off to THE GEM PALACE!!!!!!!!!! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, (right I will stop now) it was amazing all shiny and sparkly!! He showed us the most amazing vintage jewellery the detail and workmanship was unreal! There were dozens of glass cabinets full up with trays of jewels, my eyes where darting from stone to stone, she even gave me a posh tray to put all that I wanted on, well “my wish list ha” so off I went for about an hour trying things on, trying to concentrate on getting some prezzys for people and not all for me, but erm ... I had a splurge, but it would have cost well more in England, seriously. I bought a 22 carat gold hand polished and crafted pendent with a 22 caret necklace to match and some more little bits, but I will leave it at that, you can see them when I get back, but hay I LOVE THEM so much, I love the workmanship that has gone in to them, I will soooooo treasure them forever.

So off for a posh lunch again to experience yet more amazing vedgie food!! Then we visited a little store that stocked amazing hand made products from all over the region he told us how he co-designs with the craftsmen and provides a place for them to sell their beautifully crafted products.
Then on to the National institute of design where young people are being trained in the old hand craft skills, I gave a presentation and a few people where really interested and pulled me aside to offer me yet more contacts and even asked me to stay another day or so to be introduced to people who would defiantly be able to help me. One of the guys had even been working with street children and put a video together of their plight, he was teacher who teaches young people he explained that it was dear to his heart to be educating the young, I am definitely going to go back to meet him again and spend some time learning from him.
I had a glory moment in this meeting, I now want to spend some time in India learning about the crafts and building up networks in order to teach people back in England, in schools, collages and universities about these amazing age-old techniques and skills, as well as putting them directly in touch with these groups of people so they can collaborate and utilise there skills providing the Indian trades people with an outlet and fair wage for their beautiful and intricate work. Imaging being a degree student and having access to use the whole range of skills and talents I have seen so far, it would be so out of this world, while promoting the handicraft of the Indian people. This is a new level for me now, a fresh new opening, the extremities it could reach and good it could do for all concerned are endless. I could even work with this guy to put a film together about these traditional methods and the Indian fashion industry to enlighten all creative people in the UK and Europe who would never have this amazing opportunity to experience what I am, I could even aid and facilitate placements to learn from the masters themselves.. “BIG THANK YOUS TO THE BRITISH COUNCIL” you have started my mind a spinning and it feels so good!! Thank you ever so much for giving me this amazing opportunity and having faith in my entrepreneurial abilities.
So on to an unexpected impromptu meeting with a hand bloc printing company, where we saw how the painstaking technique works and the design possibilities that could be achieved, oh my god I’m now hooked, I so want learn all the skills and transfer this knowledge base back to the UK!! I asked the lady if I could come stay for a while to learn the technique and she said it would be a pleasure, as she believes in passing on skills and has been a teacher for many years off her life, ahhhhhhh I’m blow away, I want to start looking at coming back as soon as I get back home, I so mean that, my world has opened up in to a vast creative cavern and my design spark has been re-ignited and I can see it never ever going out again as there is eons and eons of stuff to learn and then to pass to fellow creative’s well in to infinity and beyond!!

Phew I’ve been typing for ages n ages, I have to sleep now as its 11pm here and we are up at 5am to go and catch a plane, yeah look at me Miss creative entrepreneur jet setter, im loving it. oh and I’m learning to speak Hindu too, I know how to say hello “ namaste” you also put your hands together as you say it, plus I can say thank you too “Shukriyah”, well I think it is really bad not to try and immerse oneself in to the country you are visiting and make the effort to pick up a little of the lingo, plus I best start learning more as like I said I’m defiantly coming back for a longer period of time and that’s for sure...
Hugs to England family and friends, oh and a big HUG for my rich x

So where do I start?? We have had a very informative day, starting off by meeting the head of a fashion uni. To visiting the most amazing market, which is all about promoting specialist craftsmanship from local designers and trades people. Opps i bought so much stuff, but it’s so cool and amazingly crafted, I bought it from the people who made it! I will treasure it forever!! Plus I gave some street children my “street style surgery stickers!!!” it was such a good feeling, I so wana help these kids, it’s so sad to see the poverty they live in, if I can make a small change in the future then it will fill me with something money or notoriety cant buy, to see their smiles when I gave them the stickers was enough to fill sissy’s smile bank forever!!!!! I will try my hardest to make a small change; it makes you feel so lucky to have what we have. I love India; it’s the most amazing place, plus the cheapest place I have ever visited!!!! . we are being treated like royalty 5 star all the way, opps my eyes are so squinting writing this I so need to sleep so I will have to love ya long time and leave you, hmm yep I’m a little bit merry, that cocktail has gone to my head, so I best get off the computer and have some sleep... Ps I’m hopefully putting the photos on facebook when I get a minuite.

Phew where do I start??? Well I’m sitting here now, shaking my toe at the tunes coming from a bollywood film on my flat screen TV, in my uber plush room!!! Now that’s just a statement in its self, hehe. I feel calm and happy at the moment with rushes of excitement coursing through me!! What will tomorrow bring? I don’t know, neither do I want to, that’s the best way to feel I reckon.

So from the beginning,,,, here I am in Manchester on Saturday ready to jump the train to London, when I find out there is only one and its fully booked!!!! So flap starts to set in, then my precious boy Rich says that he will drive me to the airport! Ahh how good of him, not only will I get to see him up until I go but he will also keep me calm about the tragic goings on in India, it was a big worry for me, but I realise I need to keep it in context and grab this amazing opportunity I’ve been given by both hands and go for it!! So there I am at the airport with 20 mins to go heading to gate 30, only to discover when I’m nearly there and half way across the airport that its gate 03 I need!! Aghhhhh so the full on run around the airport begins, sweat coming on, flapping-levels rising, PLEASE DONT LET THE CHECK-IN CLOSE WITHOUT ME!!!! So in the nick of time I make it and get myself on the plane.... The flight was cool, not a drag like I expected, it was lovely meeting the other finalists and chatting about anything and everything.
So we arrive in Delhi airport and pick up our luggage and head out to the exit, where we see 3 well dressed men with our names on a board! How cool I’ve always walked past these board people thinking ahh wish they would be picking me up one day, and this day they where!!! So off to our luxury 5 star hotel we go, the journey there was an experience in its self, mad drivers on mad road, with zillions of people piled in to open back wagons, small monkeys hanging of trees, people bustling everywhere!!

The hotel is so nice and so was everyone we met, so polite and welcoming. My room is amazing, little posh chocys and everything!! You can imagine me shrieking with delight!!..lol The room had big massive windows which I instantly pull open to expose the smog lingering of little shanti town slums, such a stark contrast and a taste of what will come. So we all musta in the lovely restaurant down stairs and have the most amazing food at the best prices ever!!
A few of us decide to go for a little walk, which turned out to be the maddest sight ever, millions of people, well “MEN” haggling over clothes that where being sold from piles in the street, they were everywhere, I’ve never seen so many men shopping, in all my life!!!! or so many piles of clothes on the floor, not even in my room!!! On our mission we ended up getting a young lad latching on to us, which initially made us wary as people are coming up trying to sell you stuff and beg for money, but he just said he wanted to walk with us and show us around, we where still a bit wary, but he takes us to the bank, then to a some shops, he seams a really nice lad, so I gave him some money, as I felt that he had been very helpful towards us, and that maybe this was the right thing to do, which it would probably be normally, but he gave me the money back, he explained that he just wanted to hang with us for a bit and help us get round and that he wasn’t after payment!! How nice was that and how much did it alter my perspective, it was really humbling and made me take stock of some of my initial perceptions about “people on the street mithering you” he was genuinely offering to help, for the simple reason that he wanted to, not coz he expect payment in return, but to give good karma in order for it to return to him in abundance, now that made me smile and filled me full of wamth!!!

So back at the hotel I fell in “by accident” to the luxury spa!! Oh my god, the massage pages where to die for, so ermm I treated myself and had the best massage I’ve ever had!! 1 long hour of bliss followed by one long glass of mohito!! Mmmmm

Tired eyes now, time to re-coup for our first big business day tomoz, bring it on!!

Bring it on, my visa is here! An envelope arrived with my passport in, so I looked in it for my Visa but it wasnt there! Doh it was in my passport!, Well how am I to know i've never had one, hehe...

Hi everyone thanks for tuning in…

If you would like to know more about the competition and prize or if you would like to view my application form please click on the following link.

http://www.creativeconomy.org.uk/UKYCE/FinalistProfile.asp?ID=34&FinalistID=51 http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/content.asp?CategoryId=1108

Future100 Entrepreneurs http://www.stridingout.co.uk/latest-news/future-100.html

I would also like to highlight what I would like to achieve from this 2 week guided tour of the Indian fashion sector.

Aims...

A greater understanding of the Indian fashion sector and economics as well as a more in depth understanding of their culture and traditions.

A wealth of Eco and fair trade information, which I can utilise within my workshops and pass on to organisations I currently work with and will work with in the future.

A main aim would be for me to source and open up networks for independent UK designers to have access to information about the Indian fashion, production and manufacturing sector. I am currently involved with Manchester Fashion Network and Striding Out and would welcome the opportunity to join with other networks to share what I have learned and experienced. Imagine a hub that could facilitate independent designers to get small production runs manufactured in India *NOTE* All designers please email me your contact information.

I would also love the opportunity to source fabric and manufacturing contacts for the men's underwear I am currently inventing. As I am at a stage now where I have the prototype but no specialist fabric or manufacturing contacts and I would hate for it to become stagnate and to fall by the way-side like my initial fashion business did.. With the right support networks I can make my vision become a reality while hopefully causing a stir within the global men's underwear market.

And finally, if I make these new contacts, I might be able to revive my original fashion label, "Sissys Surgery" and I’d love that.

THE FUTURE OF THE STREET STYLE SURGERY...

Is to grow my organisation to promote fashion design, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to the young throughout the whole of the UK.

To pursue the number of contacts who I've discussed working with to grow into a bigger organization that provides a series of stand alone and combined creative workshops as well as events for the young, music, DJ-ing, dance, graphic design, drama, jewellery & accessory making

To promote ethical fashion design to the fashion market and consumers.

To also provide adult education and back to work schemes.

To offer placements & apprenticeships to people who have showed promise while attending my workshops.

To gain sponsorship and support from a major fashion player to push the SSS forward in order to gain a wider UK recognition with aspirations for the long term to make the SSS global.

To produce the street style surgery's own fashion label which will be highly visible in major stores, it will be designed by young people in the UK and manufactured ethically in India, with some of the proceeds going to young peoples charities in both India and the UK. I want it to be as big as the "Pink Ribbon" Cancer sign and to be recognised for promoting and inspiring the youth of today to be creative and entrepreneurial. To raise awareness to ethical/fare trade fashion and to the plight of child labour in India.

Ahhhhh my world has blown up into an amazing bubble at the moment, with all realms of possibilities opening up!!! I entered a competition to find the Young UK Fashion Entrepreneur 2009, hosted by NESTA and the British Council a few weeks ago, it took me 6 hours to fill the form in, I put so much effort and thought in to it. So about a week later I get an email saying I'm through to the longlist of 9 and I will need to come to London in a few days to pitch my business and ideas to a panel in the British council building, consisting of representatives from the British fashion council and creative industry as well as the director from top pr agency Blow PR. When I read it I just fell to my knees and shouted OH MY GOD about a million times, I was shaking, I couldn’t believe me and my business was being recognised!! So I put together a very visual powerpoint presentation along with the advice and help of my Rich, he so supported me and was there to bounce ideas off.

So there I go off to London for a 4.40 interview on the 31st October, only to be told when I get there that there was a 2 HOUR DELAY!! Agggh that meant longer to get worked up and panicky. I really tried to keep my nerves under control and kept thinking positive things, so 2 hours later I go in and start my pitch, obviously talking faster n faster, to which one of the people said “girl stop catch a breath” in a smiley way.. so I did and let it all out. In the question and answer session they showed interest in my ideas and in what I was saying. I was so pumped up and on it, spilling out my ideas and hopefully confirming to them that I have true entrepreneurial flair and zest.