Cut From a Di erent Cloth

Cut from a Different Cloth: Exploring the Rise and Importance of Non-Western Fashion

I have a confession: I love fashion-based reality TV. Since I was young, I have watched every episode of Project Runway religiously. Something about the design process and the way diff erent designers fi nd wildly diff erent inspiration within the same challenge is intoxicating to watch. It makes you feel as if you are in the workroom with them, trying to create a red carpet ball gown in an hour. However, most of these shows have a tendency to focus mainly on American designers, with maybe the rare UK designer thrown in to spice things up. However, when I learned that Netfl ix’s new take on the classic format Next In Fashion purposely chose to curate a cast from all over the world, how could I say no? Th e designers came from all over, which gave the show a more international feel and allowed for diff erent fashion perspectives to be shown. While the show still has some of its fi rst season kinks to work out and, in my opinion, I don’t think Tan France and Alexa Chung are the most qualifi ed to judge a design competition of this nature, the show was, overall, an enjoyable experience. However, the most striking part of the show for me came from the designer team of Angel Chen and Minju Kim. Th ese two designers from South Korea and China, respectively, were easily the fan favorites of this season. With their lovely spirit, innovative designs, and refusal to be anything other than 100% themselves, and, without spoiling too much, they do quite well for themselves within the show.

For me, what struck these two designers as so fascinating is how diff erent their designs were when compared to designers from the United States or Europe. From the fabric choices, colour, and silhouettes, their designs seemed to push against the preexisting “rules” of garment creation that many western designers use, but it worked. Something that did strike me as odd throughout the show is how the judges had to actively work to dismantle their bias for more traditional western design technique when judging these two designers in particular. Much of their critique from the show was centered on how structurally diff erent their designs were. Alexa Chung, in particular, kept urging them to create something with more “sex appeal.” Interestingly enough, particularly in a lingerie themed challenge, it became clear that these two had a diff erent interpretation of sexy and fl attering that didn’t fi t into the pre-existing western ideals. While these two did go very far in the competition, their criticism does raise questions on how we as society have created rules for fashion and how these rules tend to have a traditionally western standard in mind.

14 When dissecting how we judge fashion, it is important to look at those who are deemed the pinnacles of basic fashion design. With icons like Coco Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior, fashion has built itself on the foundation these and many other designers have created. However, as any perusal on a list of most infl uential designers can tell, these people tend to come from the same areas: namely France, the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom. While these people are all very talented and deserve their praise, it seems problematic that most of popular fashion is based on the work of predominantly white, western fashion designers. Th is pigeonholing of “high fashion” has - intentionally or unintentionally - left out the voices of designers and creators who don’t fi t within the criteria of western audiences. From having the standard of women’s wear being fi t to an “hourglass fi gure,” which is a traditionally western idea, to deciding rules for occasion wear and what to wear when, these ideas of have seemed to arbitrarily created to line up with western ideas of beauty.

In recent years, with the rise of social media and the globalisation of media markets, fashion has seen a renaissance of designers wanting to break the mold of fashion. K-Pop Korean fashion has seen a viral popularity amongst western audiences. While BTS and Blackpink may be the way these trends have been spread, their growth has more to do with the market and choices that Korean fashion off ers in contrast to others. Where most Western designers focus on trends and styles that aim for maturity and sex appeal, a lot of Korean style is based on loose fi tting clothing, light materials and colors, and androgynous fi tting. Further, Korean menswear is less binary, allowing room for what is traditionally considered feminine as well as allowing for experimentation. Due to this Korean, as well as much of Japanese and Chinese fashion, is allowed to be more fun and exciting, mixing hardware and leather with tulle and pastels, creating a visual feast for the eyes. Th ese designs are something that can only be created from and by a particular culture and it is a shame that these designers don’t get more attention for the work they create.

Unfortunately, spreading fashion innovation from other places is even more diffi cult when there isn’t an easily marketable entry way like K-Pop to help exposure. Specifi cally, many designers from the continent of Africa are overlooked or ignored due to lack of awareness. Similar to how culture infl uences many Asian designers, the past acts as a guide for many designers in Africa . South African designer Laduma Ngxokolo creates collections inspired by the Xhosa culture and uses it as a basis for his knitwear and beyond. Many designers take traditional garments, like kaft ans and dashikis, and fuse them with more modern elements for a new age of fashion enthusiasm in their area. If the 2019 Academy Awards show us anything with Ruth Carter, an African American costume designer, winning an Oscar for her costume design with Black Panther, is that African fashion is due for a rise and the global appreciation it deserves.

What is so refreshing about these designs is that they are not tied to any preconceived notions of fashion. While some more traditionalist designers may see these designs as unpolished or unrefi ned, they are far more than what they appear to be. In many ways, what has halted the growth of many non-western designers is the continued trend of western designers either appropriating and stealing these designs for themselves or the continued dismissal of these works as costumes. Recently the Victoria and Albert Museum highlighted the history of the kimono from Japanese culture, and how it has evolved into a modern garment that is on the rise. However, many western audiences still see such garments as costumes that should be gawked at rather than appreciated. Th e only way for new designers to adopt a more global is for the fashion market to make active changes in the way they analyse and value clothing. Diff erence and diversity are extremely important in this world and the fashion industry has a chance to give the consumers access to new styles and designs that they may not have seen before due to their location. By doing this, it will systematically dismantle the old rules and create a new fashion industry built on a foundation of designers from all over the world, not just in a few select cities. If the popularity of Angel and Minjiu can prove anything, it is that western markets are ready for a change and hopefully these two women and many more can help usher us all into a more equally, diverse and, ultimately, stylish world.

WORDS BY Gelsey Beavers-Damron