EL TROUPA : An Irregular fashion adventure featuring designer - Martha Kunihira

 

Lilacs and violets. Teals and sapphires. Shades of periwinkle placed side by side with intrinsic black. This is the kind of laid-back color pallete we are introduced to in Eltroupa’s very first runway collection. The choice of colors coupled with a sporadic use of floral elements emanate a certain aura of softness and delicate allure. The selection of fabrics revolves around a mix of satins, silks, crepes, lace and chiffon, all delicate and easy draping, with the goal of reaching for luxury. The collection is also notably characterized by irregular fabric cuts and sheer details, all adding an overall edge to the outfits.

“I am a growing artist learning to live in my world and each day comes with a lesson…”

Martha Kunihira, a designer of custom-made eveningwear, is the life behind El Troupa fashion house. “Vintage, sexy and free!” are instantaneous words she chooses when asked to describe her style in three words. Martha’s style also tends to come off as effortless and sometimes, interestingly reckless! Even so, her designs tend to reveal occasional hints of subtle aesthetic details that you would only notice if you took a closer look. Details like the embroidery, the unique draping in particular places, and the way she takes advantage of style lines to patch the different fabrics together. The general outlook of the designs looks and feels somewhat raw, ungoverned, and most importantly, free. The way the outfits are put together feels like something emerging from outside the structural confines of the stern pattern drafting foundations taught in fashion school. To a great measure, it feels organic and a reason for this could be because the designer didn’t undergo any initial formal fashion design instruction prior to starting her brand. Fascinatingly, while she now embraces these foundational methodologies, the latter didn’t stop her from pursuing her sensibilities in the exact unusual ways that she envisioned them, in the first place.

What started out as a playful experiment to create these rare sassy outfits to wear to fun weekends out with friends gradually escalated into an odyssey to seek out people with this shared quirky spirit. With the help of an enthusiastic tailor friend who incidentally happens to be a ‘Martha’ as well, the designer was able to see many of her initial imaginations come to life! It is not easy to find someone that rightly understands what your vision is. However, this collaboration seems to have worked out pretty well, thus proving that a designer is not necessarily a person who can run a sewing machine but rather an artist with the rare ability to visualize ideas and possibilities and orchestrate their processes step by step to actual fruition.

  

    Design by House of Eltroupa 

                                “Here and there…. pushing through my limitations and fears.”

Having pursued a three-year bachelor's degree of science in accounting, the designer confirms that there was indeed a significant moment of disconnect from her creative side not only during this time but even relatively earlier in high school where her parents were not exactly welcoming of her interest in joining the art class. Despite this, she admits to having always felt a vivid inclination towards artistic expression and an urgency to live creatively. She attests to struggling with feelings of emptiness, dullness and sometimes depression following attempts to work a regular 9 to 5 office job, which her parents approved of better.

It is needless to say that choosing to pursue a creative journey is always a risky decision. Amidst the battle of trying to find and remain true to oneself, there is always the unspoken pressure of navigating everyday survival in, “the real world,” where there are real bills to pay. Being a full-time artist often means exposing oneself to significant levels of uncertainty due to the fact that earnings from creative pursuits may not always be definite and guaranteed especially during the early stages of one’s career. This is coupled with the fact that art can neither be forced nor rushed, thus making it easier to quit and follow the conventional path of employment. The designer attests to having indeed experienced her fair share of huddles ranging from family criticism, navigating the fashion industry as a newcomer, the quest to finding her specific clientele, down to challenges with securing the funds she needs to realize her projects in their full capacity. However, despite all, with high spirits, she remains steadfast while holding on to ambition and gratitude. Even in her unsureness, she is sure.

                         

                           Design by House of El Troupa

                                                                                    “…it’s beautiful and painful…to live truthfully!”

Martha believes, designing clothes has enabled her embrace and share her truest self with the world. Living truthfully is indeed not for the faint hearted. Some people may choose to retreat within their shells forever for fear of what other people might think or say about their life choices. However, every now and then, a few brave souls rise to the occasion, reminding the rest of us that the fear we hold deep within ourselves is only but an illusion that needs to be overcome :)

    

                          Designs by House of El Troupa

Written by Gloria Coutinho

Arts and Culture writer

coutinhogloria131@gmail.com