As you stand in your truth, you stand in your strength.
The Free store and PTDC fashion show this past Saturday (10th March) embodied integrity and the best of Auroville values. Its composition and creativity were beautiful to watch. It was also a celebration of human unity thanks to lots of components, one of them being its Aurovilian` actors.
It all started about 3 months ago when Kamala, who has been serving the Free Store for the last 30 years, decided that it would be nice to have a fashion show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Auroville. For Kamala, seeing people dressed nicely makes her happy and her main wish is to continue to evolve and grow into consciousness through a joyful path of truth and sincerity with the Free Store as her tool for karma yoga. As she said, she could not have found a better opportunity to serve the visions of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Dream, dreamers, play and players, act and actors, the beauty of this Aurovilian was presented in all aspects of this remarkable event. In a co-production with PTDC, the Free Store, which has grown to serve over 1000 people, got out of its humble room and, for a couple of hours, was projected into the glamorous flash light of artists, models and acclamation.
In this latest “coup de chapeau” to Auroville, Arlet put together a talented and creative event. Over the last 14 years, Arlet has been well known for her exhibitions, interiors, and fashion design. (Remember her production for the last Trashion Show!??!)
About 45 models, men, women and children, came to life on a runway defined by small little yellow flowers in the courtyard of the PTDC and Free Store. It could have been one of those Luis Buñuel surrealistic movies, Who would dream to see people of all sizes and ethnicities, united to celebrate a vision, going down a runway in the middle of a forest in Tamil Nadu, all of them wearing beautiful clothing, heads covered with hats made of lettuce or watermelon skin, wearing necklaces made out of carrots, leeks and earrings made out of tomatoes or parsley. Those were just a few examples of this display of vegetables and fruits mixed with second-hand outfits, along with pans, clothes pins, egg holders and more.
The last standing tableau with its centre piece of Kamala, Arlet and Sowmya, colourfully surrounded by all the models and actors of the show, was a very touching composition. In glory and humbleness it represented an expression of the evolutionary vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother: giving, receiving, unity and above all, love, beauty and art.
Chana Corinne for AVArt Service
