Tango goes feminine, inspired by Oriental arts and crafts, with its spring–summer 2003–4 collection

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHANNES VAN KAHN

HRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND label Tango always manages to strike a chord with its themes for each season. In 2003, when globalization has given way to accusations of globaloney, designers are finding more subtle ways to blend other cultures into their work. It’s a valid approach, because consumers are still internationally minded, even if increasingly distant governments have, particularly this last week at the European Parliament with Berlusconi’s latest gaffe, treaded an overly nationalistic line.
   Tango’s approach is to incorporate eastern arts and crafts with its courage to experiment with new styles.

Tango has successfully tapped in to the upcoming mood—and it’s a departure from the masculine Bonnie & Clyde theme of its present season

Its summer 2003–4 collection experiments further with handcrafts: Suffolk Puffs and strips of fabric woven in the basketweave pattern, adding texture and contributing to a delicate, personal appearance; and its own printed silk design featuring a crane.
   According to the company, ‘More than 5,500 Suffolk Puffs and 100 m of cloth cut into narrow strips for weaving have been lovingly created. Continuing with the arts and craft theme, the cloth is patchworked and contrasts pieced together in a fusion of bright and pastel shades.’
   Tango’s campaign, shot by Johannes van Kahn and modelled by Fiona Mulholland, shows eastern imagery and origami.
   The east has become a source of antipodean inspiration just as some in Europe have looked to 1960s London and others have taken a “gypsy” route. Prevalent at Melbourne Fashion Festival and the subject of an upcoming exhibition at Wellington’s Te Papa, the Orient has suddenly come into vogue.
   Origami is another word doing the rounds in fashion circles lately, but for reasons stemming from technology. ‘Origami fashion’ is the concept of taking a layer of fabric, folding it into an accessory for the au courant items of cellphones and MP3 players—an idea that has been prototyped at Central St Martin’s School of Art.
   Tango has successfully tapped in to the upcoming mood—and it’s a departure from the masculine Bonnie & Clyde theme of its present season, covered last quarter in Lucire. It shows that designers Malaika Grove and Vicky Wynn-Williams are prepared to push design boundaries—while ensuring their work remains elegant.
   Meanwhile, Grove and Wynn-Williams are approaching their third anniversary. On September 11, 2000, the pair opened their High Street, Christchurch store, but unlike most designers they did not begin with a period supplying their clothes wholesale. Instead, the store was a way for the founders to meet with their customer base directly and learn of their demands. It was only in 2001 that Tango began supplying their designs through wholesale. •

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