Is there too much focus on Western fashion?

[zamb]

I wonder why that is? Might it be because the Western culture dominates everything? These fashion weeks need to survive financially. In order to survive, they need to take on Western esthetics. The Western designers worship the stereotypical Western thought of other non-Western cultures. To them these cultures are just full of mascots and stereotypes.

What do you mean by western Culture dominating (dominates) everything?
The japanese have thier culture , the Indians have thier culture, the africans have thier culture(s) and so on.....
i do not think in todays society , no one culture dominates anymore. With most people(s) in the world being able to migrate from place to place (some countries less so than others), individuals now have the freedom to decide what they want to be influenced by. This is achieved by simply gravitating towards that which is most appealing and suitable to the lifestyle you want to live.
(thats why i now live in NYC as opposed to my beloved birthplace, Kingston Jamaica)
the real concern i have with your perspective Is that you are asking westen peoples (journalists/ editors etc.) to pay attention to other Kinds of fashion(s) from different cultures.
this is something they have to do by thier own choosing, just as how designers from other (non western) cultures who choose to imitate the western ideas and ideals (SEE Runner's Post) , have done so by thier own choice
Also, it must be understood that Western Culture is no more than an amalgamation of Various Far East and Middle Eastern cultures with the Keltic/Nordic peoples that lived in Ancient Europe.
The great (maybe not so great?) thing that the west did (beginning with Ancient Greece and Rome), was to incorporate the best things from all the nations/cultures the conquered (interacted with) so long as it gave them an advantage.
Christianity (a western religion) was started in Ancient Isreal (Judah) which is in the Middle East (africa bfore the region was classified as the middle east)
Christmas and Easter are Celebrations that Can be traced back long before the west became civilized,
Blacks were in the West Before the Arrival Of Columbus (the proclaimed "Discoverer of the West)
and there are more examples that i can give.
How does this all tie in with fashion.........
The truth is that technically thier is no true Western Fashion, as the Western Designers continues to do the same things that Rome did, take the best of a given cuture and appropriate it to thier own taste and benefit.
That is why italian and parisian Silk is now better and more expensive than chinese silk (with the chinese being the inventors thereof)
And Margiela's Tabi (hoof toed) shoes are hipper and better than the ones worn by Japanese Ninjas.


All in all , the cuture of the west allows for greater interaction of peoples and thus more progress in different field........... thats why we now have an internet (western Military invention) where you and i and so many wonnderful people here of different Races, Cultures religious, Faiths etc, who for the most part have never physically met each other, can share in a discussion about something that we all ove and enjoy................FASHION.


God Bless
Zamb

 

[Whitelinen]

If you go that far in history, you are right. However, any other culture than Western is also build of pieces of other cultures, so Western is not the only one. I don't know how I could make it more clear about how Western culture dominates... it is true that there are for example Native American cultures. But how well do non-Native Americans know about it? Native Americans do know the same about Western culture as we do.

Although US is part of Western culture, I would like to use one example to illustrate my idea. If you come to Europe, you notice that our culture(s) are overshadowed by the culture of US. Just open the television, go to the cinema or to buy clothes, and you will notice it. I don't believe it is the same way back in the US.

And now, although the US is part of the Western world, I would like to remind that it was only an example. The same thing happens in non-Western cultures. Western culture comes and overshadows the nation's own culture. I think this is pretty common. It is only linked to money, not in the superiority of the Western culture.

 

[new_dawn_fades]

erm...

what I think the world needs is a good few 'designers' and by that i mean those who INNOVATE..and push the boundaries of fashion a la hussein chalayan..coming from countries in the east...
But at the current global state... i think the next generation of cutting edge design isnt going to come from a particular country or from a certain ethnicity or continent.. but rather from 'induviduals' who think differently...and express their views through clothes.... so in actual sense they would not look at themselves as "chinese, indian, african or japanese etc" ..they would look at themselves as global citizens..free human beings... i can only see such people pushing boundaries in the near future..

Fair enough there arent many ethnic designers out there who are getting enough credit as they wish..but i think talent outshines all prejudice..
talent is also about self assurance... you have to stand by your vision otherwise some crappy journalist will ruin your career..

my point is that YES i would love to see more designers who are not from europe or america.. but what i would like to see is progression from these designers who are from these countries..... and for that one must accept that the western world has progressed in terms of the avant garde..
and much of the contribution is credited to the japanese...yohji rei etc..
changing perspectives of fashion in europe...but it was forward..
they did not show japanese costume.. it was groundbreaking.. western work-wear inspired..fused with japanese perspective...
they really thought about new ways to cut garments...
it had philosophical undertones...
it wasnt in your face 'national' costume..
I think yohji , rei and issey are very good examples of free human beings... im sure atleast yohji thinks of himself as a global citizen..


to make a statement..id like to say a few words about Manish Arora..
the guy does bollywood costume...
and its totally kitsch...some love it some hate it... well it makes me laugh..and sometimes squirm..
kudos to those who like it.. but i think there is little innovation..garment wise.. its all about totally wild..colour.. so much colour i get seizures..
BUT>.. he is popular because he is offering a new perspective...
even though there is no progression or culture blending or philosophical or poetic per se...
It is almost like a kaleidoscope into indias film industry and bollywood colour..which is new to fashion... and that grabs some attention..

that is just one example..
what fashion needs is new perspectives..
and I would like to see these perspectives to come from people of the world..

thats my "two cents"

 

[couturex]

Now that I think about it, the only real difference is the talent put into the couture. Other than that, I saw a lot of the same trends this year.

 

[Whitelinen]

But my point is that there are a lot more talented, innovative people out there. They just don't get a good career if they don't manage to land in Europe or the US. Of course I am not saying fashion's new wave should come from some special country; that would be dominant. What I am meaning is that the focus needs to shift a bit, enlargen itself a bit. The world is not Western. It is true that here in Europe the indrusty is more advanced; but does that mean it should be the place followed? For now even this "avant garde" fashion Mecca of Paris is boring and too commercial.

I don't think there should be a trend of non-Western designers bringing out their national costumes. But they do have different points of view, different influences, which might make their clothing different from Western. I think all non-Western designers should try to seek and embrace that instead of follwing the Western world. Because something has been like this for decades does not mean it could not change.

There should be some kind of support offered to other countries fashion schooling and fashion weeks.

 

[Swati]

erm...

to make a statement..id like to say a few words about Manish Arora..
the guy does bollywood costume...
and its totally kitsch...some love it some hate it... well it makes me laugh..and sometimes squirm..
kudos to those who like it.. but i think there is little innovation..garment wise.. its all about totally wild..colour.. so much colour i get seizures..
BUT>.. he is popular because he is offering a new perspective...
even though there is no progression or culture blending or philosophical or poetic per se...
It is almost like a kaleidoscope into indias film industry and bollywood colour..which is new to fashion... and that grabs some attention..

Let's parse through what you've said here:

Manish Arora does not do Bollywood costume. He's a designer, not a costume designer.

A lot of what Manish does is intentionally kitsch. It is kitsch within the context of the culture in which it is produced, and understood as such by those familiar with the idioms and nuances of Indian popular culture. For example he makes ironic reference to clothing worn by Western hippies in India (plastered with Indian religious symbols, which appear unbelievably tacky to Indians) in many of his t-shirts.

Not all of what he produces is kitsch though. A lot of it makes careful reference to global influences, traditional motifs, and contemporary Indian design trends, using quality fabrics and well-tailored.

And to appreciate the difference between the two, you need to be familiar with the complex nuances accompanying use of colour in Indian textiles. Just because you cannot perceive the subtle references, patterns, and significance of the colours used does not mean that such a paradigm doesn't exist.

Also, please don't use Bollywood as a catch-all term for the role played by colour in Indian design philosophy. India is not all Bollywood, we have a textile heritage going back several thousand years. Also, most people outside India have a very limited understanding of Indian cinema (a term I prefer to Bollywood because it sounds less derivative), and make reference to Indian popular cinema without having a clue about it.

 

[jadorelamode]

It is more about the market these cities are in. Sure, Sao Paolo and Madrid are more inspirational fashion weeks because of the colors seen and used, but that is their culture. You can say Asia is more inspirational as well because of their fluent use of fabric and colors. These Fashion Weeks, however, cannot really get the exposure they desire because of the markets they are in. They are big markets, sure, trendsetting, sure/maybe, but the economies and demographics for fashion itself is not as polished. I would love to see Asia, especially Tokyo and Japan, grow as 'fashion capitals' because of the trends coming out of them. Gucci Group just posted an 87% growth percentage in the China market for the first quarter alone. I am speechless by this. As I look into this, I can see the markets for fashion growing over there, but the Paris's, New York's and London's is where the true market is, and has been for years.

 

[jefei]

in my view, i think western ppl do care about fashion, or i should say, they do care about art and design. ppl will appreciate the creation from this field...
as far sa i know, people in asia love to judge rather than to appreciate, and i'm one of them
i think it's too hard for the design industry to last in this judgemental environment

 

[ApertureRomance]

Perhaps it's an issue of supply and demand , people can only buy what they are exposed to and so yes that is a limited view but if someone wants something they will seek it out. That to me is more fun and I say this viewing fashion as a whole not dividing it into 'East & West' but I take fun and pleasure out of discovering new designers , smaller labels that aren't always featured in mainstream media outlets or the accepted norm for publicity.

 

[JamieCD]

is it obvious that fashion is part of business and cant be without?
there are laods of ppl who are ready to speand in western/north america.. it has been trend in asia lately..

sure the future will be china, india ect...

but ya also see many designers have asian backdround: anna sui,jimmy cho, barbara bui, dinh van, Y3,philip lim,derek lam,doo ri ect

i do believe it need times.. maybe i the next 20 years!

 

[Whitelinen]

in my view, i think western ppl do care about fashion, or i should say, they do care about art and design. ppl will appreciate the creation from this field...
as far sa i know, people in asia love to judge rather than to appreciate, and i'm one of them
i think it's too hard for the design industry to last in this judgemental environment

I have never been in Asia, but somehow I wouldn't believe that. Why would they be more judgemental? I think it is the Westerners who are more judgemental. Look at all the avant garde designers that have come out of Japan, Westerners have often been far more conservative and repetitive. And in Europe, it is considered tacky to wear logoed designer items, and those are no longer the topic media here talks about. But from my understanding, at least from what I have heard and read, in Asia it is the biggest craze to shop for designer clothing and items with logos - i.e Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Chanel even has it's biggest store in Tokyo. I think the Asians are more accepting. They also have a different culture, and if we could introduce their fashion designers to the Western fashion world we could maybe get new (not recycled) inspiration over here.

 

[ShesElectric]

Well, I mean, we contribute to that as well. It's not just the media to blame. I think I've made a few fashion week threads on here that were out of the Paris/New York/London/Milan stream and hardly anyone paid any attention - there were only a few replies. That's not to say that these weeks weren't western as well. I think it's more an issue of people not paying too much attention to designers who aren't super hyped up. It's like a celebrity thing I guess. The same reason celeb-hungry people buy tabloids. I'm sure indie designers have their own little following.

 

[Whitelinen]

That's is true, ShesElectric.

 

[jadorelamode]

Good points WhiteLinen. Tokyo's Ginza District is a spot where many upscale houses have sought in the past few years. Tokyo is such a big part of fashion in Asia. However, everywhere you go, people are judgemental. That is the world we live in. I would love to sit here and say I am not, however the first thing I look at when I meet someone new is the way they dress. What I do made me that way though. It's a part of life. Anyway, judgements are made in all areas of the world and you cannot pin it to just one country/city/town. To further on your other point, Asians love to wear monogrammed designer clothing. It is part of their culture, look at how well Marc is doing with his Vuitton line and Nigo is doing with his Bathing Ape line. Two complete opposite ends of the fashion spectrum, but the Asia people do so well to mix and match these styles to make it work. Streetwear is huge in Asia (A Bathing Ape) and is a big reason why we can call Tokyo one of the trendiest places on the planet.

 

[manolocraver]

I do agree with that... the western fashion scene is overrated and lacked of new ideas from season after season. LV is doing the same thing, Karl Lagerfeld is doing the same style for Chanel (for the sake of Coco's memory) and what else... I don't know what to say!

I think it's time we move our attention to the Asian fashion scene where the ideas could be more vast and expanse. I dare to bet that most Asian fashion designers have already reached the same level as Galliano or Temperley or von Furstenberg.

It's just that we never receive the same hype as what the Western fashion industry gets from fashion onlookers and magazine editors from Paris, Milan, New York and London. I've designer friends whose designs are worth to discover. You can always check them on my blog...

 

[Whitelinen]

^ Why don't you post about them here?

 

[vinxism]

"lighten up its just faaashion, lighten up its just faaaashion"

 

[Whitelinen]

"lighten up its just faaashion, lighten up its just faaaashion"

Lighten up it's just mild racism, lighten up it's just about making the whole world Western.

 

[L0VE]

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?

I kind of don't understand what you're saying? Most designers are from Europe and not Western (aka America). ???? The finest designs are usually from Italian and French design houses. But they showcase all over.??? New York fashion week is huge. Most designs stick to there routes, which are European (even while in America). Fashion is universal. This post is pointless. Do some research or post some pictures to back up what you are saying.

 

[mkd1187]

um.. isn't there too much focus on western everything?