Living in the past

Local designer draws from vintage style for show this month

By day, Meera Kazmi, 19, swears by a black “wiggle” dress, a pair of black stillettos, black eyeliner and matte red lipstick. To style her hair, she starts them in hot rollers. She’s probably seen “Kiss Me Kate,” “Moon Over Miami,” and “The Mad Miss Manton” a hundred times.

Our clothing says a lot about us. In times of revolution and social shifting – think of the 1920s and 1960s – it was common to see women in traditionally masculine silhouettes. Pants and straight or free-flowing blouses defied constraints those societies placed on gender. In times when traditional values were cherished, the signs of the times took the form of structured undergarments and shape-hugging silhouettes that accentuated and, some would say, celebrated the female form.

Kazmi decided to emulate the women she saw in her favorite films and to start dressing the starlet part. She was only 12 at the time but ripe to internalize the notions the saw in the movies, which seemed to say, “what a woman ought to be exactly,” she said. “A woman ought to be glamorous.”

“I started dressing in vintage every day and learned how to do my hair and makeup that way,” Kazmi said. “I even started buying 1950s slips to sleep in. It became a way of life and a part of who I am.”

Nearly an entire life later, Kazmi still embraces girdles, garter belts, and bullet bras. She thought about becoming a milliner (hat maker), and she considered designing lingerie (she collects it). But now, as a budding designer, Kazmi wants to help other women channel what makes her feel glamourous.

Kazmi chose VFW Post 577, in Tulsa on 6th Street, for the debut of her first collection and fashion show. Kazmi called the collection “very feminine, very sexy but still very classy.” Still in school, she’s putting the final touches on the event between classes and homework assignments. It hasn’t been easy. She’s in class every day starting at 8 a.m., and she designs, drapes, and sews into the evening in her studio.

“I like to create pieces with body-hugging silhouettes that are still flattering for women,” she said. “It’s also a silhouette that can be worn any time of day.”

Kazmi’s spring collection of 11 pieces is sexy yet demure – tailored but feminine with a bit of an edge. With a mixture of lace textures, satin, and some matte synthetics, Kazmi’s influences – Italian designers Dolce and Gabanna, Gaultier, and what she called the “impeccable” work of Ukrainian designer Ulyana Sergeenko, in particular – are apparent. Black lace or fishnet-patterned mesh layered over nude body suits and undergarments is a staple in the collection, teasing and revealing of skin and shape. Kazmi will also showcase some separates – a black lace pencil skirt combo; a light, spring-green, tea-length pleated skirt; and matte, black cigarette pants set off by a structured bustier top.

Kazmi used peachy, nude satin to create a jumpsuit with flowy palazzo pants, inspired by 1930s pajamas. She created the piece from a pattern from the ‘70s. By buying vintage, she said, it’s easy to buy designer without breaking the bank. It’s more couture, a one-of-a-kind look that won’t be mirrored by some other belle at the ball – not to mention the thrill of the hunt when searching for that perfect-yet-affordable find. In Kazmi’s collection, everything old is new again.

“I haven’t really found much clothing made in today’s world that is as beautiful as what was created back then,” Kazmi said. “There aren’t many contemporary women that I look to for style inspiration. Dita Von Teese is one of only a few. I continue to look back to women like Joan Crawford in the film noir of the 1940s, or Mimi Van Doren, Eve Arden, Jayne Mansfield and of course, Marilyn Monroe. Their style is timeless to me. It’s classically beautiful. What I’d like to do is make retro-inspired clothes for the modern woman at an affordable price.”