Issue 2: Cultural Couture

Cultural Couture-LVG

RUNWAY ROBES & RUFFLES, COULD YOUR CULTURUAL HERITAGE BE A NEW TYPE OF COUTURE? - YOUR CULTURAL HERITAGE IS PERFECTLY MADE TO MEASURE BUT SHOULD YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO EMBRACE IT.  

(This entry was initially written as a submission to Haute Arabia) 

The debate between feminism and fashion is on going as we question weather representations of women within the fashion industry can ever truly be as empowering as they are objectifying.  As multiculturalism continues to spread across the world we observe how cultural wear disappears and societies idea of the norm dominates. Although Feminist appeals urge for women to not feel pressured to conform to mass media standards there is a continuation of a lack of representation of diversity within the fashion industry.

Channel 4’s recent plus size wars documentary grabbed Britain’s attention to women’s growing waistlines with its aim at empowerment, however it soon gained backlash by those suggesting it encourages obesity.  When considering the lack of plus sized women present in making decisions within fashion organisations it’s understandable why they aren’t represented in the media and the need for a documentary highlighting the changing consumer. 

Could this also be applicable to the lack of cultural diversity within the fashion industry, Would the face of our most iconic fashion magazines and brands be more diverse if those in charge of production were from more varied backgrounds?

Photo: @KhloeKardashian Instagram

Staying fashionable yet true to your own cultural heritage can be seen as a feminist battle not only because of the lack of representation of different ethnicities within fashion media, but the lack of differentiation in presenting cultural attires. Integrating cultural styles not only inspires the creation of new trends but also empowers women that their culture is just as iconic and beautiful as any other. Growing up in Britain I hadn’t previously considered until writing this article what the cultural attire is based on my Caribbean background and it dawned on me that, I’m likely not the only person curious about their fashion cultural heritage. It’s time for us to confidently reinvent our cultural couture and express the multicultural nations that we are.  With celebrities such as Khloe Kardashian causing controversy from embracing cultural wear other than their own, it seems finally attention to cultural attire is being highlighted and debated. We may not all be able to agree on the difference between embracing cultures and mocking but we can’t deny the  dominance of western representations of style and beauty. Is it our civic responsibility to change the fashion industry through protests, boycotts and trendsetting or should the fashion industry take responsibility for itself?

Cultural empowerment and diversity should be the future of the fashion industry, discover yourself and dress truly according to who you are. Fashion and beauty were developed to help us enhance who we already are we shouldn’t forget that.