Ghunghat (Indian Veil)
Description: I am creating a veil that will attach to my head. My cultural heritage is Indian and I am thinking specifically about a ghunghat (Indian veil).
An Indian bride wearing her ghunghat (veil)
Goals: I have chosen the combination of wire, fabric and wood to create this garment. My aim is to make a decorative veil that can be lifted up. I will be incorporating platonic solids in the front of my veil. Instead of using plain sheer fabric, I plan on making small-scale (2” sides) flat hexagons out of wire and enwrapping them in red-colored mesh fabric. To give it a third dimension, I will be adding triangular structures on top to make it look like half a diamond. These hexagons will be vertically wired together in 2 columns and 3 rows. The top corners of the first row will be hooked on to a circular headband made out of wood. I will be making small wire rings to connect the hexagons onto the eye hooks screwed into the wood. The red spray-painted headband will rest on my forehead above ear level, going all the way around the back of my head. The mechanical aspect of this garment will be in the frontal wire structure. The wire frame will be movable so that it can be lifted up and above the headband like a hinge joint. This entire form will sit on my head, not as a hat but as a type of mask. The veil is expected to hide my face and then reveal it, once lifted. It semi-obstructs my vision and obviously the viewer’s view of my face.
An Indian woman wears a veil (ghunghat) during her wedding as well as after. It is worn as a way of showing respect to the elders. Some of the orthodox women from the rural areas wear the veil constantly because of the stereotypical dominant males. The men tend to intimidate them. Therefore, the veil is a sign of respect mixed with fear.
The constructed forms are meant to denote a female’s delicacy. The netted fabric in the small wire hexagons symbolizes elegance and shyness. The entire form being angular, signifies and simplifies its mechanical function. The fear and timidity is resembled when the veil is down. Uplifting the ghunghat would mean that she is comfortable enough with the people around, to let go of that shyness.
During the final critique, I will wear a white colored outfit which has full sleeves and full-length pants. It will relate to the piece in the way that Indian women don’t show a lot of their skin when dressed traditionally. This cultural belief is reflected in the timidity of Indian garments. Lastly, the color white will help bring out the red of the veil. It is also meant to complement the ghunghat’s daintiness and elegance.