Fashion designer wants to promote Kurdish culture

[Diri]

Fashion designer wants to promote Kurdish culture


http://www.kurdmedia.com/articles.asp?id=12716

Sunday, June 25, 2006

KurdishMedia.com - By Vladimir van Wilgenburg



Sohrab Darisiro's (21) interest in fashion started at an early age. He always liked to play with clothes, experiment with styles and try new things. But his "serious" interest for fashion started, when he saw Azeri's on television promoting Kurdish culture as theirs.

His anger afterwards resulted in drawings and hard work. After encouragement from his teacher, he started at an age of 15th years with preparations to cut and sow the clothes which he had drawn on paper. These were his first designs and he was inspired by the Kurdish clothes and culture.

"I always loved it when Kurdish girls would wear their most beautiful dresses to parties, weddings or other celebrations. So I tried to capture that into my designs," the fashion designer said.

The same year he created 10 outfits which he christened "Sahar" (Sunrise). After this he had his first debut on the national TV of Norway and he held a couple of fashion shows. This was due to his success on a contest.

The next two years he took part in another contest known as UKM (Youths Cultural Development), where he finally won a spot.

Inspiration from the rain drops


When he was 17 years old he produced his other collection named Baran (Rain). According to the young fashion designer he made this when he had a hard time. ""Baran" which means "Rain" was a name symbolic of this melancholy, each rain drop containing some of my ideas and some of my creativity. When light sheds through the raindrops, many colours can be seen, like a prism. This is the light and colours which I captured in my collection "Baran"" said the enthusiastic fashion designer. .

"And after a long period of rain - "Derya" which means "Ocean", my newest collection came into existence. This collection is an ocean of styles, ideas and contemporary trends. All fused together to create my own interpretation of Kurdish fashion and clothes".

"A collection with bits and pieces from every part of Kurdistan"


"Derya" is a collection with bits and pieces from every part of Kurdistan says Darisiro. From Kirmancki and Kurmanci to Gorani and Sorani fashion. "By mixing styles of every corner of Kurdistan, I have united Kurdistan. Though our people may have been forcefully divided by artificial borders, our culture and fashion defy these so called "borders"".

Despite this unity the Kurd says there is still a linguistic division in Kurdistan. "There are variations of customs and traditions, which should in every way be embraced by every Kurd proudly and defiantly".

The elegant Kurdish lady; a source of inspiration

And by fusing different Kurdish styles, he says he tried to highlight a new side of Kurdish culture. He wants to make a more mature, elegant and exclusive fashion, which in many ways also defines the Kurdish lady. "She is elegant, mature and very exclusive. In the old days, much was said about Kurds, and most about Kurdish girls and their unspoken beauty. Kurdish girls were the envy of every other nation - and on the lips of every Persian, Azeri, Turk, Arab"

He tries to capture the character traits of a noble, decent and beautiful Kurdish girl in his work. He wants to present a Kurdish girl, which is worthy of the envy of the whole world.

"Every colour and every style of this collection is dedicated to every Kurdish lady out there, who defies the enemy with her loyalty to Kurdish culture and loyalty to Kurdayeti..."

"It is time be now to take back that which was taken from us"


But what does he want in the future? The fashion designer has big expectations of himself. He says he want to start his own fashion empire in South Kurdistan. For this reasion he wants to start a brand called "Dara Sor" which means "The Red Tree".

In the future he wishes to promote Kurdish culture through his fashion. He wants Kurds to be proud of their rich culture. According to him Kurds know little of their own culture. "We need a cultural renaissance – and this I believe can only be achieved if people stand up and firmly lay claim to their culture".

Sohrab Darisiro says that a lot of the Kurdish fashion treats has been borrowed or stolen by Turks, Persians and Arabs. "It is time be now, with our own state in a Federal Iraq, to take back that which was taken from us".

According to him Kurdish fashion in general has to some extent lost it's glitter and glam. This is a result of the "many years of oppression and forced assimilation, which have always been the policies of the Arabs, Turks and Persians".

"A taboo in Kurdish culture"


The fashion designer with a Kurdish cultural background is not only proud on his Kurdish background and culture, but also critical. "I wish our culture would not put barriers on our progression into modern times. I am thinking of Kurdish girls doing modelling, which still is a bit of a taboo in every Kurdish home".

But this hasn't worked out yet, because of those "barriers". "Although Kurdish girls would better present their cultural heritage, I have not been able to convince any Kurdish girls to do modelling for me yet".

He hopes that in the future the Kurds will be more tolerant and accepting of the globalizing world. "We should trade the negative aspects of Kurdish culture with the positive aspects of Western culture. This way, keeping the core of our beautiful culture and advancing in so many new ways and so many new fields".

"Perhaps the time is ripe for a Miss Kurdistan? Who knows..."

[dyaoko]

wow how nice ! congratulation kak diri ! they are great , please keep on doing your job, we are proud of you !

[Diri]

Thank you kak Dyaoko! Zor supas...

Her bijît moda Kurdî!

Appreciate it...

[missIndependent]

bra gyan, i dont care how many times n in how many website, i've told u how Great u r n how much i adore ur design, im gonna say it again.. cuz each time i look at ur designs, they amaze me, all of em.. i love 'em.. n i adore u for what u've done so far! plz keep it up n neva stop using ur talent n ur good different taste to introduce Kurdish culture n modern kurdish clothes to the word, YOU ARE SIMPLY GREAT, thats all i can say!
i liked ur Derya collection betta, probably cuz there was more kurdish soul in the designs, but anyways, Baran collection was great as well.. cheeriooooo

btw, when do i get my wedding dress?

[Diri]

bra gyan, i dont care how many times n in how many website, i've told u how Great u r n how much i adore ur design, im gonna say it again.. cuz each time i look at ur designs, they amaze me, all of em.. i love 'em.. n i adore u for what u've done so far! plz keep it up n neva stop using ur talent n ur good different taste to introduce Kurdish culture n modern kurdish clothes to the word, YOU ARE SIMPLY GREAT, thats all i can say!
i liked ur Derya collection betta, probably cuz there was more kurdish soul in the designs, but anyways, Baran collection was great as well.. cheeriooooo

btw, when do i get my wedding dress?

Bunches upon bunches of hugs for you!

And each time you say it - I feel you've only just said it! Thank you sweets... Realy appreciate it!

Everybody should strive to be the best at what they do!

Serkeftin bo hemû Kurd dixwazim!

[Lovetobewithfriends]

I think this is one reason for saving Kurds' own identify.Because,maybe when we say fashion we don't remember Kurds at first but we have an original culture and this fashion can be modernized.And good example for modern world culture.This is not a lie,if we look we will see Kurdistan,is very important place for human history so this is not lie,kurds have a costume culture

[PEPSI]

choni bashi Diri

Congratulations on a great sucess!!!

Do you have your own website where your fashion design are, so i can take a look at all men and women or may be you have some picture you can send for me to print of, of all different fashion styles great for my studies on kurdish culture.

Pepsi xxx

[Diri]

Lovetobewithfriends

I think you are right... Kurdish culture and language is one of the pioneer cultures of the Middle East... Our cultures continuation is in the best interest of all other cultures on Earth - because we are an important link between their past and their present...


PEPSI

Thank you sweets

Go ahead... Copy...

[Shevin]

thats u designing those clothes diri?

[Diri]

thats u designing those clothes diri?

Yaaaah!

That's me...

I take that as a compliment!

[AlanG]

Man your talented and i like your designs very much, honestly they are very beautiful and you can see that you put your heart and soul in them.

Biji kak Diri.

[Diri]

Man your talented and i like your designs very much, honestly they are very beautiful and you can see that you put your heart and soul in them.

Biji kak Diri.

Awww Those are realy realy nice words! I am flattered... So happy that I get so much nice feedback from my Kurdish brothers and sisters!


Tosh bijî kake gyan!

[AlanG]

Your welcome kaka gyan.