On Holiday in Europe By Shelley Komarov
On Holiday in Europe
By Shelley Komarov
It’s hard to talk about travel in the time of coronavirus but we know that things change and we hope that soon we’ll be able to travel. During my long career in the film business I traveled to Europe quite a lot. My favorite European country is Italy. I’ve traveled all over Italy and was fortunate to spend four magical months in Rome.
Over the last 20 years I also would travel to Paris at least twice a year for fashion and textile trade shows.
Wherever I travel, I always pay attention to the way the locals dress. French women tend to like more classic styles; they prefer well-made clothes that last for a long time. They can always spice them with fun accessories: scarfs or jewelry. The French are very big on scarfs! Women in Paris do not wear a lot of cosmetics despite, as we know, French beauty brands are the best.
In Italy it is quite different. Italians are very much in tune with what is fashionable and on trend in a current season. For example, if ruffles are the trend of the season, you wouldn’t see any simple blouses in the local stores.
In the late 80s I was working in Rome on the film "Coins in the Fountain” and I had to find some simple items of clothing that were not on trend at that time and I had a very difficult time finding them in Italy.
The color pallets are different too. The French like more neutral colors - black, grey, taupe, off white, and camel— while Italians prefer brighter colors. In Italy you could see all shades of oranges, reds, corals and blues. Even for Italian men, burnt orange linen jackets and yellow and red pants are not out of the norm.
I have always thought that fashion reflects local architecture and culture and that is what makes it so interesting. In fact, the colors of clothing often mirror the colors of the buildings. In France, at least in Paris, they are predominantly black and grey. In Italy the beautiful buildings with soft yellow-brown, terra-cotta walls, and reddish roofs make the architecture so alive. The color palette of the buildings influencing the color palette of the clothes is clear and not just in Italy or France. When I was in the beautiful Greek island of Santorini - yes, quite touristy but amazingly beautiful - two colors dominated the landscape— white and bright blue. These two colors dominated every clothing item you could find in the local boutiques.
In Italy on Sunday, after a mass, you could see all the piazzas filled with crowds and women in very high heels walking on cobble stone streets, and I wondered how they manage to walk without falling! And of course, older women, all dressed up, were sitting in cafes.
On my most recent visit to Rome I was shocked to see how different Italy looks now. The colors are still there, bright in Italy and subdued in France, but everybody was walking in sneakers, both young and old. Small shops that I liked so much, that were selling their own designs and styles, do not exist anymore. What I saw instead in their places were stores like Zara—all the brands that you can find in the US. So, globalization has come to fashion!
Traveling today is not an easy task and you need clothes that are easy to travel with and easy to take care of. I always try to travel with just a carry-on. My friends are always in awe that I can manage to put in one carry-on everything that I need for a trip. After so many lost luggage’s I have created a system for packing and of course, my clothes from Komarov, designed for easy travel, make life much easier.
Next time we’ll discuss the subject of how to pack!
Stay healthy and optimistic! Ciao and au revoir.
HISTORY
Shelley Komarov is the founder and Creative Director of Komarov Enterprises, Inc. Hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia, Shelley immigrated with her husband Boris and small son Dimitri to the United States in 1977. Having had experience making costumes for the Kirov Ballet in Russia, she sought a career in costume design for film and television when she landed in Los Angeles in 1978.
During her 25 years as a costume designer, Shelley was honored with four Emmy awards for her work on Peter the Great, The Kennedy’s of Massachusetts, Frank Sinatra and Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. She was charged with the responsibility of costuming over forty productions from feature films to miniseries. Needless to say, after fitting thousands of cast members, including Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Matthew McConaughey, Jack Lemmon and George Clooney to name a few, Mrs. Komarov understands how clothing should fit.
Being that her work required a great deal of travel, she became personally frustrated with the lack of style, fit and availability in garments that travel well. Such was the impetus for creating KOMAROV, a beautiful line of women’s sportswear and dresses. Reflecting Shelley’s love of architecture and art, all of the garments are pleated using both modern methods and the age-old artistry of hand pleating. Each piece is hand made at their Los Angeles studio.
KOMAROV was established in 1997 with Shelley Komarov, Dimitri Komarov (Shelley’s Son) and Dmitry Liberman at the helm. Shelley has now bid the film business goodbye in order to dedicate all of her attention to the demands of her busy clothing company and the love of her life, her granddaughter, Ava.
PHILOSOPHY
“As a Costume designer, I often travel the world and live out of a suitcase. From my own experience, I know how difficult it can be to maintain clothes. As the world is getting smaller and we spend more time traveling, working, etc., we have less time for ironing, alterations, and maintenance. We just want to stuff our clothes into the bag and go. The line sets itself apart with its signature pleating that produces a unique surface texture while enabling each piece to naturally conform to the wearer's body shape. Manufactured in Los Angeles, Komarov utilizes a special heat process that permanently bends natural and man-made fibers resulting in the kind of luxurious fabrics that recall the works of Mario Fortuny and Issey Miyake. My dream has always been to create clothes that have a 21st century vibe. I feel that I have accomplished this with the Komarov collection”.
FABRIC
Komarov utilizes the finest natural and man-made fabric blends, most of which are from meticulously selected yarns and created specifically for Komarov before undergoing the line's special pleating process. Each piece is hand printed so no two are exactly the same.
FIT
Each Komarov piece conforms or expands to fit the body so the fit is uniquely your own. Komarov has made pleating relevant to modern lifestyles with fabrications that provide unbeatable fit. Though strict quality control is imposed for manufacturing consistency, the process itself produces slight variations that make each garment almost one of a kind.
EASY TO CARE FOR
The collection is hand or machine washable, wrinkle-free and lightweight. Ideal for the busy business or leisure traveler who wants to look chic at a moment's notice without the need for dry cleaning.
Website: https://komarov.com/