Dubai: Who would have thought that toddlers from a UAE nursery would inspire haute couture in Paris? Far-fetched as it may seem, that’s precisely what KG 1 and 2 students at the Taaleem-run Children’s Garden managed to pull off last week.
On May 28, as these two- to six-year-olds walked the ramp for Ponsot Paris, the unique fashion show at their Al Barsha school auditorium was as much a celebration of international high fashion as it was of their own homegrown talent.
Man in the child
The 80-plus children’s artwork drawing from the masterpieces of famous artists formed the basis of Ponsot’s latest designs, validating almost nursery founder Birgit A. Ertl’s oft-repeated words, “Give me the child until he is seven and I’ll give you the man.”
With unabashed pride, Austrian Ertl told XPRESS after the show that the school’s core curriculum has been designed to focus on languages and creative arts. As the 190 awestruck invitees to the fashion show looked on, the little stars made emphatic statements with their custom-made dresses, trousers, T-shirts, stoles and scarves – all of which bore prints of their own creativity.
Ertl said Ponsot, a new name in international fashion, had never done a fashion show with kids or their works. The novel idea came about a few months ago when Ertl and Ponsot fashion designer Omar Ponsot, whose son happens to be a student of the nursery, got talking.
“At the Children’s Garden, we are inspired by different artists like Gustav Klimt, Ted Harrison, Jackson Pollock, Alexander Calder, Robert Delauncy and the like. We teach our children about these artists, their techniques and works and encourage them to use their own vivid imagination to spur creativity.”
She said the chance conversation with Omar Ponsot led them to explore the possibility of transferring the children’s artworks on to fabrics and then design clothes with inputs from them. “When Omar saw the kids’ paintings, he was very impressed. Subsequently, our art coordinator Idil sat with our students in the art studio and decided what prints they could create for him to use. Once they were done, Ponsot scanned the collages and printed them on fabrics. The result was stunning,” Ertl said.
It was teamwork at its best as KG 1 students made one massive collage and KG 2 students created two on a big canvas. Every little aspect, right from the artists, the colour schemes and tools to be employed was a collective decision.
Ertl said the show’s success prompted Ponsot to regularly draw on the children’s designs. “We’re living in an era where creativity is king. By allowing our children to explore their potential, we are being given the opportunity to participate in such activities.”
Ertl said the proceeds of the fashion show, whose tickets cost Dh50, will be donated to a charity supporting cancer patients.
