Illustration:
Pratimkumar
KasbekarSo, the New York Times has labelled an image usually found on all thats poisonous and dangerous, The Happy Face. And why not, an article that appeared in the newspaper, argues that since slasher films are top grossers, death has become less threatening.

On a profound level, international fashion designers have included the skull motif in their collections to protest against wars, terrorist attacks, HIV/AIDS suffering, and natural calamities like the Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the floods.

Not so long ago, fashion survived on an impossible-to-stick-to Zone Diet comprising stilettos that threatened to trip, and claustrophobic corsets.

There was serious pressure on the fashionable, to look, talk, walk, sit the part. But the London bomb blasts of 2005 ignited the slouch ouch! International fashion events wriggled out of boho chic, and adopted functional silhouettes that didnt believe in too much skin show. Basic black and white made up the colour palette, as in Beatnik print, (zebra crossing stripes) the current favourite.

With India not far behind in fighting disasters, serial blasts, flash floods and cross-border terrorism, are Indian designers game to look at the grim for inspiration? Not at all! shoots back Manish Arora, one of Indias hot selling designers abroad.

Are the desi designers disconnected from reality, or is it that theyd rather turn to tradition for inspiration? They are a bunch of escapists; they live by the as-long-as-I-am-not-affected-why-should-I-care? philosophy.

But why are we just blaming designers. Whats the government done for the families of Mumbais bomb blast victims? We dont even have a memorial to remember those we lost, scoffs Mumbai fashion designer, Narendra Kumar. His tells you that his next collection is inspired by the fight for Right to Information.

Bollywood designer Anna Singh, whose last collection was gothic all the way, says that while its her personal sense of style, she doesnt see Indian designers picking up the trend, since its not commercially viable.

Black, grey and navy blue are colours patronised by 3% of high society. We are a happy spirit. The real India dresses in flaming red and orange, she laughs.

While the West has hardly anything to fall back on, we have traditional textures, indigenous fabrics and prints at our disposal. We draw inspiration from our art and culture. We dont need to look elsewhere, she reasons.

Skull and bones inspire me? Not at all!

Manish Arora,
Indian designer known to use a riot of colours and kitsch motifs

On the contrary, Im experiencing pure happiness.
Im turning 30, and Ive been told that the 30s are the brand new 20s!

Varun Bahl
Indian designer, whose last India Fashion Week collection was inspired by the scizophrenic nature of humans

Instead of moping over whats already happened, Id rather make designs that talk of a positive energy.

Ashish Soni,
Indian designer who tends to use a lot of black, white and grey

The skull energises me

By Kasmin Fernandes

Nineteen year-old Andheri resident Hitesh Tiwari loves walking down Mumbais streets in his Metallica T-shirt. The reason? It bears a bandaged skull rising out of space to usurp the world.

The horrified look on the faces of strangers amuses me, he grins. The T-shirt is an original, gifted to him by a friend who bought at the bands concert in the US. Its my favourite T-shirt too dark and profound, he says.

The Commerce student does not believe the print is morbid. In fact, he confesses that it energises him, irrespective of the opinion of non rock music lovers who dont understand the difference between dread and satire.

Its only recently that the world is waking up to gothic chic but to Hitesh, dark is not a fad that is embraced out of inspiration. He made the choice of colour (black) and sign (skull and crossbones) long ago. According to him it spells mystery and charm, and ushers you into a different state of mind that dwells on the dark.

The guys who wear gothic make-up

Jason Singh
His band, Taxiride is relatively new, but Jason Singh has already become an icon.

The Australia based singer of Indian origin manages to sport kohl without looking effeminate. Hindi film director Farhan Akhtar tuned up for the premier of Omkara in a yellow tee with a green skull motif

Billy joe
Clearly the best male endorser of kohl, Billy Joe Armstrong, lead guitarist, song writer and vocalist of punk rock band Green Day, never makes a public appearance without it.

The make-up goes well with his music, and his immense talent has influenced many wannabe musicians to line their eyes with kajal.

Does music ring in a doomsday tune?

The skull and crossbones are to rock music what flower power was to the hippie movement. It raises the fear of death and disease, whether pictured on a bottle of poison or emblasoned on the black flag of a pirate ship.

But to a fan of rock music and all things metal, its a sign of hope and rebellion. Check out the album cover of We Are The Scene 2, a compilation of songs by various rock bands by Throatlatch records. Designed by Punk-O-Graphix, the label says it symbolises hope for music that interests us within our very own tiny scene according to Rishu Singh, band manager of Human Extract that also features on the album.

The bands are a mix of amateur and pros, but the graphic is hauntingly illustrative of the fact that the skull is the new symbol of life and hope.

Available at: Music stores across the city
For: Rs 100

Another band has used the theme on their cover, but involved religion with it, in the US.

Christ Illusion, the tenth studio album by thrash metal band Slayer, which was released on August 8, has come under fire by Christian Rights groups, thanks to its sacrilegious cover.

It features a drugged out skull-like Jesus Christ with a missing eye and amputated forearms, standing in a sea of blood and decapitated heads. The band is no stranger to controversy, but even US radio talk show host Mancow Muller who has supported Slayer in the past, has taken offense.

Slayer is also being criticised for a song on the album, entitled, Jihad. The song was written about the 9/11 terrorist attacks from the point of view of the terrorists, though the band says the song does not state that either side is wrong or right.

Compiled by Kasmin Fernandes