Is there too much focus on Western fashion?

[Whitelinen]

Do you think there's too much focus on Western designers and Western fashion? Looking at Paris, London, Milan and NYC fashion weeks, there's not much inspiration, new ideas and talent left. However, smaller but maybe better and more creative fashion weeks don't seem to get attention. Many times in order for labels to get recognition they have to move their shows to for example Paris. Do you think this should be changed? Do you think there's too much focus on Western fashion, and all these non-Western designers don't get the recognition they deserve, unless they somehow modify themselves into the Western fashion world?

 

[jeya]

I actually really don't know of any major Asian designers, and that is something I would like to see change in the future. I think many aspects of non-western culture are ignored or used as a theme or trend (I remember asian prints as appearing on the runway one season) rather than being treated as an entity themselves. Sorry, I am probably not making much sense.. but the overall point is, Western fashion can be too dominating at times and it's time to have a shift in focus, particularly as many Asian countries have evolving rapidly these days.

 

[Whitelinen]

If you take a look at Tokyo fashion week, there's much more inspiration and quality than Paris, Milan, London and NYC had altogether IMO. Many of the most talented designers presenting in Paris are Japanese or Asian, but they have moved to the Western world to get recognition. It's Asia where the talent is right now.

 

[zamb]

it depend on what is meant by western fashion.........
also, it is good to look at this from an Historical context.
For the lat 2500 years,all the dominant (globally dominating, that is) civilizations and societies have been western, beginning with Greece and Rome (even communism which has conquered China in the east, was started i the west by a German living in England).
Fashion is a fast changing field, and it is under these western societies , that gives citizens the opportunity to express themselves that fashion is able to exist at its fullest, and become what is is intended to be.
Personally, i dont look at fashion as having eastern orwestern designers, or being dominated by western fashion.
we have designers from all over the world in every major city and they go there largely because these cities are structured to allow them the best opportunity to work and be successful. some of the top designers in each city are not its natives, (eg. Oscar de la Renta is from the Spanish Caribbean, Hussien Chalayan-which probably holds the key to the future of fashion is from Turkish Cyprus) Designers are drawing inspiration from all over the world, with todays fashion being the least "trend driven"
One thing i Know for certain is amidst this great big melting pot that fashion has become, there is a huge disparity in terms of black (people of african decent) representation in high fashion which is something we can make as a sub-topic in this discussion

 

[Whitelinen]

Yes, but why cannot other fashion weeks get as much attention?

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Because they're not much cop.

 

[ilaughead]

Yes, but why cannot other fashion weeks get as much attention?

It's probably because editors and buyers are too lazy/busy to make the trek to anywhere else. I think it is important to have a center like Paris that has everything convienently close together.

However, I would really like if Tokyo would have a better-covered fashion week! But fashion is primarily a North Atlantic Ocean industry. There aren't any "important" fashion weeks in Asia or, even more confusingly, in the southern hemisphere.

 

[Whitelinen]

There should be, as that is where there's a lot of talent. And since editors and buyers already fly to US from Europe and vice versa for fashion, I don't think it would be any harder to fly to Asia - especially from the US.

 

[Lena]

it is not as simple as making a trip.

plus it's not just editors, buyers or showroom owners attention that it takes for a label to break through in the tough international luxe market.
it's always production and distribution
launching a new international signature may be very romantic but in the current economic environment of frozen budgets it is certainly not a piece of cake.
there is talent out there, but lets be real
the majority of the market is not 'thirsty' for talent or fresh ideas, it's simply focused to the status added by adopting established 'high class' labels.

 

[ultramarine]

Hum ... I was just wondering last night when I was watching Sao Paulo FW ... I mean ... to me its the biggest and more polished ones Ive seen ... Madrid is Ok but utterly boring ... and SouthAfrica is the new shining star ... I say: Stop complaining and do something!!! On Sao Paulo FW I try to post as many threads I can about their designers ... and believe than in here Ive got a great response to the ones -I hate to admit- Ive handpicked ...

 

[Squizree]

Take Elie Saab for example. He is from Lebanon which is the home of countless marvellous designers. I have been to Labanon and it's full of VERY skillful designers, everyone at tFS would find something they loved there, but Elie Saab shows in Paris simply because Paris is one of the major fashion weeks. If he showed in Lebanon then he wouldn't be getting as much attention. Clients, celebrities and big editors like Mrs W. need to start attending other more minor fashion weeks to really see what's out there. Otherwise sooner or later we're all gonna be bored with Paris, Milan and NY.

 

[Monsieur]

There is still a definite language barrier which seperates at least the "asian" and "western" fashion/fashion industries.

also, persons in "power" (e.g. big editors) have tight schedules and limited time, if they can only attend 3 major fashion weeks. then they won't be risking their valuable time going to places with niche fashion industries. instead the niche fashion designer has to stage his/her show in one of these major fashion weeks in order to contact such persons...

 

[Whitelinen]

Hum ... I was just wondering last night when I was watching Sao Paulo FW ... I mean ... to me its the biggest and more polished ones Ive seen ... Madrid is Ok but utterly boring ... and SouthAfrica is the new shining star ... I say: Stop complaining and do something!!! On Sao Paulo FW I try to post as many threads I can about their designers ... and believe than in here Ive got a great response to the ones -I hate to admit- Ive handpicked ...

That's true, we have the power.

 

[runner]

that's what JFW is trying to change rifgt now.
to turn the status quo and send out fashion from Tokyo/Japan.
they have been trying hard to promote it, but it's not easy at all to challenge conventions.
the fact is in the first season there were no more than 10 foreign buyers visiting it all the way.
you can guess how vernacular the event had been before JFW.
and in the second, 20 foreign buyers of the total attendance number of 44000.
so they had to take a drastic measure and move up the schedule for the third, the S/S 07 week, to be at the head of the other cities, while it used to be after all of them.
they didn't seem to achieve remarkable results accordingly.
but it was 50 and it has improved.
we'll see what it's like this fourth time round since JFW.


about the case of limi, I think there is another context as well, besides the general reasons it has to be Paris.
maybe she has to go to Paris because Yohji is there, like Yohji once went there for his biggest targets to defy,
even if it's most difficult.

 

[PerfectPerfect]

I think we can all agree though that fashion has it's cycles. And at this point, I agree with ultramarine, unless someone does something about it, there really isn't much to do about it. If Marc Jacobs can move from NYC to Paris or London, then there really isn't stopping any other big labels to move to Japan, China, or India.

Then again, were it not for many asian influences,wouldn't certain things not exist? Mandarin collars? silk? Chinoiserie? Batik? Kimono? Sari?

Are certain people not obssesed with the Harajuku? Shibuya? etc...

These influences are everywhere. They are mixed with western designs, and vice versa. Perhaps the turn in "westernized" clothing, fashion, and designers stems from many people not being allowed to before.

I can see where the question posed could be coming from. But are you implying that even the "eastern" cultures are slowly losing their manner of dressing and designing to become like those of the west?

 

[zamb]

WhiteLinen, can you explain a bit more what do you mean by western fashion?

 

[ilaughead]

^^He means Western European and North American clothing, I think...

 

[Scott]

i don't quite understand what you're suggesting here,linen?? i mean,are you saying that there is no more talent left in this part of the world? otherwise,i'd have to disagree with that wholeheartedly.

but i think a large part of the probelm is inaccessability and structure within the asian side of the industry. as runner explained,TFW,is trying to change alot of things,but it takes time,since their fashion week is still so precocious in its development compared with the other major showplaces. you got to remember,these cities have had one for decades upon decades now. that's why it's always important for many designers in that part of world to travel to Paris and London....and for so many now(like in Antwerp),even to study,because it is such a prestigious place to make one's statement. and as far as designer focus,specifically,you said it yourself,there's so many in the spotlight all time when they come here,and alot of whom are actually still based in Japan.

on the opposite side of the topic,there are so many western independent designers who are focused upon so much more in the east,than here in the west,so to say that the west has nothing left,is a bit of a contradiction.

 

[marylauda]

I think she means that even though there are good Western designers, there are superb talents in other parts of the world that go unnoticed/not noticed as much because the focus is always placed in the Western world.

 

[stilettogirl84]

I think it's simply that the western countries have been the dominant world powers for the last few centuries, and therefore have been the center of art including fashion. I think as the asian countries grow more powerful in the next 50 to 100 years, both politically and economically, they will demand (and have the power to demand) that there be some fashion capitol in that part of the world. I also think that asian designers will develop (or expand on) their own personal aesthetic which the west will follow, as opposed to now, where asian countries adopt western fashions.

Fashion is about so much more than simpy fashion. it is also about power and who's society is deemed most "valid" or important.