|
|
 |
Asmahan
was a fashion designer in San Francisco where she owned
her own business, Aquarian Princess, specializing in couture
design, dresses, men's shirts and accessories. Her clientele
was the society world, rock stars and other artists. All the
pieces were theatrical, made of antique and exceptional fabrics
with beads, fringes and embroidery. She made stage clothes for
the Jefferson Starship, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin,
Stoneground and Greatful Dead. She had a window
display on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills at JAKS.
Her career as a designer was very promising.
She
decided to go to the San Francisco Renaissance Pleasure Faire
in a Medieval costume to show her work and network. This decision
would change her life. It was at this event that she saw Bal
Anat, the Middle Eastern troupe of dancers whose artistic
director was Jamila Salimpour. The costumes, music and
dance opened an new world of creative possibility. The asute
fabric, coins, chains, authentic jewelry, and rich fabrics caught
her imagination. This was the ultimate in exotic femininity.
Immediately she began imagining her own costumes in this new
medium.
The
students attending Jamila's classes were very competitive. Many
of them were members of Bal Anat, some were in training to become
professional dancers. All of them were in wonderful outfits,
pantaloons, scarves with fringes, embroidery tops and flowing
veils. It was clear that image was very important. As well as
attending dance class regularly (two times an week), Asmahan
immediately went to work finding beautiful fabrics, scarves,
and jewelry to create the costumes.
From
a very early stage it was apparent that the costume was an instrument
allowing the dancer to enhance the unique movements that characterise
Oriental Dance. Jamila's interest was pre-Napoleonic Middle
Eastern Dance Styles. This was costume that was unaffected
by western or European influences. The bras and hip belts were
made of Middle Eastern coins and jewelry. The dancers wore headresses,
bracelets, arm bands, anklets, lavish earrings, layers of necklaces,
and huge rings. Many had been imported from the Middle East mostly
Afganistan, Morroco, Persia, and Egypt. There was no place for
sequins, lame' or modern fabrics.
The
first costume Asmahan made was from Persian silver coins. These
were made using a drill press and assembled with jump rings and
chains. Turkamen jewelry was used for centerpieces and headress.
This costume has been in her collection and has been worn in
every country where she has danced, it is still a favorite for
the Sword Dance. Also from this time a costume of Morrocan
coins was designed and constructed with jewelry pieces from Morroco,
this costume is also still in the collection and worn to this
day.
Asmahan
had been dancing for two years at the Casbah and was following
Jamila's preference for ethnic costume. In the dance world she
was renowned for her costumes and designed costumes for other
dancers at the Lion and the Sun, a Persian import shop.
Several of the other dancers at the Casbah wore beaded fringe
bras and belts with chiffon cirlce skirtrs. Aida showed
a film of an Egyptian dancer Sumiha, who had just come
to New York from Cairo. She was wearing an orange fringed costume
and danced in the modern stlye and suddenly Asmahan realized
there was another world out there of new exciting and modern
dance. She set to work making her first beaded costume and then
the first rhinestone costume with a sequin skirt.
Now
she was preparing to leave San Francisco to dance in London.
Working in London was the ultimate in costume glamour. The
most famous and successful dancers were wearing incredible costumes
from Egypt. Most of them were made my Tawhida and Fati.
Some dancers like Mona Said always had original costumes
made secret designers they would never reveal. Asmahan bought
some costumes from Cairo, but was always making her own designs
using more expensive and original materials. All the dancers
admired her work and were offering to buy her costumes and she
sold a few to make room for new ones.
|
|
|
|
