Wistful evenings when the autumn begins to creep in, take us to our favourite place of inspiration; With the sounds of Fleetwood Mac and the soft tones of Joni Mitchell, everyday we draw inspiration from our favoured freedom fighters. Adorned in heritage prints and folkloric embroideries we look back to the iconic women of the 70's as a milestone for inspiration that we continue to reference.
Image reference left to right: 1. 1970's fashion editorial via lonelymoonchild-blog.tumblr.com 2. Sharon Tate by Alan Pappe 1968 via kutulakiss.com 3. Image via Honestly WTF blog post for Free People
As we constantly search for new inspiration, we look back to this era of freedom, artistry and self expression to bring creativity and nostalgia to our designs. Looking to our free spirited icons of the decade like Stevie Nicks and Janice Joplin, the empowerment they brought to generations of women and their carefree attitude makes these women truly iconic. We love browsing through vintage photos of the era, drawing from the Bohemian spirit of festival looks and folk inspired outfits and channeling these in to every design. From long tiered maxi dresses, artisanal and handmade tie-dyes to scarf and bandanna detailing and the the mixing of heritage prints, all captivate our creativity and adorn our mood-boards.
There will never be another decade like the 1970’s. It was amazing time to be alive. There was so much love to go around, people were so good-spirited. I’m grateful that I was able to spend my life the way I did. I miss those days, I really do. ” -Joni Mitchell
Image reference left to right: 1. US Vogue March 1st, 1970 Photo Mary Russell Model Marisa Berenson via https://mudwerks.tumblr.com/image/157280230429 2. Unknown 1970's image via theyroaredvintage.tumblr.com
The bohemian spirit lives on in our prints and patterns as we use the same Indian influences as iconic seventies prints like tie-dye, heritage and paisley motifs for our ranges.
Tie-dye is one of the most well known traditional Indian crafts, using fabric manipulation like knotting, twisting & tieing before dyeing the fabric to create intricate patterns. For festivals like Woodstock and as a staple look for the seventies era & beyond, this dye technique became really popular. The handmade & unique craft that tie-dye creates embodies the freedom & self expression of the seventies. We love that true Indian tie-dye is being kept alive through our amazing artisans in Jaipur, meaning styles like Kyra & Eden have a seventies boho vibe with an authentic back story.
Paisley
Seen as an ancient motif of peace, the paisley is synonymous with both traditional Indian heritage and folk patterning of the seventies folk trend. We incorporate these heritage motifs into styles like the Lilian & Serafina, using traditional Indian printing techniques that we’re sure our seventies muses would be longing to wear.
The freedom of the seventies era embodies all that we cherish at our core: it was the era where women protested, stood up for their beliefs and began to claim their power back. The bohemian trend grew in popularity as women longed to express their opinions through their own unique style. They customised clothes, looking to artisanal crafts like dyeing, fringing & embroidering to personalize their looks.
What they all shared fashion wise, was a strong, carefree earth-mother vibe that we here at East (as an all women creative team) can really relate to.
"My generation fought very hard for feminism, and we fought very hard to not be labeled as you had to have a husband or you had to be in a relationship, or you were somehow not a cool chick." -Stevie Nicks
Let us know your favourite era and what inspires you in the comments below!
With Love, Team East xx
The above images that you have portrayed and written about are from the period in history that inspire me most. The styles of clothing and photography are timeless. Inspirational. They evoke memories of the 70’s when I worked for a small boutique in Oxford called ‘Annabelinda’ I designed for them for a while. Fashion of a similar ethos.
So glad you are continuing ‘East’. I will continue to support you. X