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?
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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.