Kalistani Major History

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Nascent Kalistani fashion firm Del Valle releases first line by designer Mark George
Focuses on fun in the sun and sand
Sulari, Suldanor
February 19, 5334


Kalistani Beach Style is a new Genre of outer wear from new Fashion firm Del Valle

Del Valle has launched in Sulari and has released a new line of stylish but fun clothing that Kalistan is sure to see popping up on beaches and coastal towns from Kaliburg to Yoshimi this summer. The Summer Line from Lourennais-Kalistani fashion designer Mark George, who designs clothes for Del Valle is the first clothing line from the new firm. George has called it "Kalistani Beach Style", and it will be hitting stores in time for the beach season starting in May.

"The line comes from a simple idea," said George at the Del Valle Review in January. "We want people to feel comfortable in their clothing. So often high fashion, like the stuff you may see in Lourenne is not really that functional. It is designed like that because it is supposed to conform to a model. Unfortunately for most people, they are not that model. So they will sacrifice their comfort to look like they are elites in public. We are aiming for clothes that fit wide ranges of people, men and women, feel comfortable, can be converted based on whether you are on the beach, or out on the town at night with friends, and clothing that showcases and emphasizes the beauty in people, where the clothes are an accent rather than the main event."

George said the line was inspired by beach fashion. "I am not originally from Kalistan, of course," said George, who immigrated to Kalistan from Lourenne seven years ago. "I was not used to the beach culture that Kalistani people revel in. When I got to this country, after studying design in Lourenne, I marveled at the freedom and the libertine attitudes of most people who lived in beach communities up and down both the Suldanor coast as well as the Ananto coast. While the attitudes toward the sun and activities in the sea were different in different places, everywhere, people were modifying their clothes with like bikini accents, or you could tell that they were wearing a wetsuit because they were going to go surfing when they finished this like quarterly earnings meeting. It all seemed amazing to me, and I wanted to capture that free spirit in these clothes. It is already the clothing that people in Sulari are wearing just by piecing it together themselves. I say why not give them outfits they can try on, to elevate that sort of DIY do your own thing sort of fashion into something like a movement?"

The Beach Style summer line features outfits with loose fitting light weight fabric, for the most part. "You will see bikini accents here throughout the collection," said George. "I noticed that swim wear is a very important part of what people wear around town all day. You see a lot of men in board shorts, which can either serve a utility purpose or can allow them to catch a game of beach volleyball, and a lot of women who will go to the sun drenched shores and tan when they have some spare time. So not only does the clothing have to be lightweight and comfortable, it also needs to be convertible. You have to be able to take it off in public as well as wear it out. These pieces are as suitable for a day at the beach as they are for a night at the bar. And though the collection could be described as casualwear, there is also some really beautiful lines that we have built into each piece so you don't just look like a hippy on the beach, but you can tell that the person who wears these clothes pays attention to his or her appearance, and selects items deliberately."

The women's side of the line contains everything from flowing sun dresses to saris, all made of lightweight linen fabric for maximum breathability. The ensemble is not complete without a broad brimmed sun hat, often with a floral print band, and an oversized handbag. It also contains a bikini or one piece swim suit which can be used as a top, or a bottom. Some pieces also employ ripped, faded or distressed jean shorts as well. Men's ensembles include deck shorts made of nylon or canvas fabric, a linen short sleeve button down or jersey t-shirt, and may or may not include a bucket hat. Men's lines feature canvas deck shoes, in case he wants to play a game of pick up basketball on the beach or just walk in the sand, while women's ensembles feature a ubiquitous open-toed sandle.

"We have great hopes for this, Del Valle's first fashion line," said George. "They believed in me and my team, and I just know that Kalistanis are going to love this attire."

With the founding of Del Valle, and the arrival of Kalistan's first major fashion designer, Kalistan joins Lourenne in the world of fashion. This first outing is not seen to be direct competition with Lourenne's more conservative fashion ethos, which should permit Del Valle to fill a niche in the market.