Features
Melissa Doughty
The winner of the middle group of the year K2K Alliance and Partners will present Wars of the Worlds – In the Time of Salome Come 2023. Its first carnival was 2012.
Band leaders Karen and Kathy Norman said the theme focuses on war in a time of peace.
Salome comes from the Hebrew word for peace –
shalom – and it is also the name of a biblical figure.
The New Testament tells the story of Salome and her dance at the birthday celebration of her stepfather, Herod Antipas. Herod beheaded John the Baptist – the forerunner of Jesus Christ, at the request of Salome in exchange for her performance of a dance, sometimes called the dance of the seven veils, it has inspired art, literature and music.
The band will take its masqueraders “through the journey of war and its aftermath” in six sections.
It recently shared news of next year’s launch, but will wait for the reveal in September.
Although the usual carnival celebrations since 2020 were hampered by the Covid19 pandemic, the Normans always sketched. Some of the outlines for 2023 already existed and many of the group’s themes were drawn up years ago.
However, it was a discussion with their father, Kenneth Norman, that led to this particular one. Their father told them: “Covid is a silent war, children; without a bomb, without weapons, without military force, this disease has wiped out thousands. Millions.”
The latest statistics say that 6.5 million people worldwide have died from Covid19.
The wars, in this sense, represent the “ambush or attack” the world experienced during the height of the pandemic, the twins said.
However, the theme can be interpreted in different ways.
“On a more general level, world wars can represent the death, destruction and hardship caused by the harsh realities of war, for example World War I and World War II, or, more recently, the war in Ukraine.
“On a more socio-political level, war can be seen as a struggle for rights, obligations and goals. This was seen in movements like Black Lives Matter, the fight against gender-based violence, and policies like Roe vs. Wade, gay rights, and same-sex marriage.
“On a personal level, war can also be the emotional pull we face on a day-in and day-out basis,” Norman said.
In each of these wars, victory is won not by force of arms, but through diplomacy, steadfastness and courage, they said.
“At the end, after the war, comes Salome.”
Many of the group’s costumes use bright colors, although some darker tones are also used. The Normans said the brighter tones were essential as the band’s underlying message is a positive one: peace will conquer any kind of war.
“For example, in The Poppy in a Field of Warpaint section, the colors are red, orange and yellow. The ombre of red is the effect of war, while the tones of orange and yellow symbolize poppies and hope springing up in a field.
“In terms of keeping with a military theme, there are trouser options with cargo pockets and jackets with large belts that allow some pieces in the collection to feel wilder,” said Normans.
Special materials were used with an emphasis on maintaining positive energy in the group and collection. To do this agate stone was used and incorporated into the design of the head and neck pieces.
They said this was of particular importance as agate is said to have healing properties and is also believed by some to transform negative energy into positive energy.
“Agate is a soothing and calming gemstone that heals inner anger, anxiety and helps strengthen relationships. It is known to evoke safety and security.”
They added that no two agates are identical, much like humans. It also means that no accessory in the 2023 collection is the same as another, they said.
She also teamed up with wood, to “maintain positive energy in the group.” For them, wood is a strong symbol of life, growth and strength.
“What you’ll also notice is that there’s a roughness to the way the accessories are made. This, too, is intentional, as it represents the severity of the war.”
The skulls “bridge the realms of the macabre and fantasy,” said the Normans. They described them as similar costumes to the 2015 American film Mad Max Fury Road meets the 2006 Spanish fantasy/war film Pan’s Labyrinth.
The group will continue to build on its 365-day concept, which allows parts of its costumes to be worn after the carnival. They range from formal to casual, which they said was in line with the K2K brand’s “vision to offer pieces of clothing that can be worn post-Carnival in casual or formal settings. The 365-day concept speaks to the efforts of K2K towards sustainability in fashion, where these are garments that facilitate multiple use.”
A section will not be part of the group on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Instead, it will be part of the brand’s bridal line, Kev-Absolu, and was inspired by the American TV show House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel. The Normans did not want to reveal which section yet, and said more information would be released closer to the premiere.
The Normans said patrons were excited about the prospects of Carnival 2023 and expected the turnout to be positive for the entire Carnival fraternity.
Group Sections:
The ambush and the whisper of the half-sown fields The wings of the battering ram The warlike path of slaughter The net of war and the delicate thread of diplomacy The poppy on a field of war Paint the singing of Shalom
