Whenever someone mentions Japan, what would a normal person think of? They could possibly think of their cuisine, anime, or their bustling capital of Tokyo. Yet, when fashion is added to the question, what are the first thoughts? Surely, their traditional clothing of kimonos and yukatas may be the first thought for some, but some might think of the popularized street fashion that they see in the media: the gyaru, lolitas, and genderless kei. Yet, their daily clothing has been adapted to women wearing skirts and men wearing suits. Without a doubt, they are looking like the rest of the world of which the West has influenced; they are no longer one of a kind in terms of modern fashion. In order for them to retrieve their uniqueness in the fashion world, the Japanese branded themselves with their many different styles of fashion, but could not have done so without the strong influence of the media. One of the most recent bang-of-exploding-popularity Japanese fashion styles is the genderless fashion. Genderless fashion can be seen in many different styles, including the street and in high fashion. Particularly, it is most popular in the streets of large Japanese cities. In areas such as Harajuku, it is not uncommon to see the renowned genderless kei and genderless gyaru walking around, and it is slowly becoming a norm for Japanese people to see these types of fashion. British magazine company, i-D, interviewed several people who dress up as genderless, and an individual has have
Though fashion is considered to be very relevant to women, there are also many women who are against fashion, finding it to be “oppressive” and damaging to their gender (Hollows 139).
We come across many different cultures and fashion in our society. Some may indicate that the culture influences one’s fashion while others may oppose and state that each aspect stands alone. Fashion and culture fall into the following identity categories: chosen and assigned. Culture affects many parts of an individual, in some cases you can determine an individual 's culture by their speech and clothing; in addition to traditions and the environment in which they were raised. Whereas fashion may be impacted by culture and tradition, but it may also not interact with culture at all.
(Choose a garment, which can be used to discuss fashion from the point of view of the consumer. This garment must be able to demonstrate how the consumer individually constructs their identity and conveys that identity through the style and styling of clothing. You should treat this garment as an object as a form of evidence, which can help you to explain theories of fashion discussed in the sessions. The intention of your analysis is to examine the ways in which we can ‘read’ objects and images, understand their meanings and explain them in the context of broader theoretical and social concerns. You should aim to be as analytical as possible. You may want to use further
We usually pay more attention to the inner core of human beings, but clothing is not simply an outfit that covers out bodies—it indeed delivers a strong message to the society. A particular style of clothing marks the fashion of an era or a culture, but sometimes there is more historical context and material politics behind it. Clothing is not superficial; it represents identity and dignity of a group of people. According to Miller’s “Why Clothing is not Superficial”, clothing gives us “such dignity, glamour and refinement”, and they “actually were what made us think what we think we are” (Miller). It sometimes may have a unique appearance but it could be a powerful challenge to the public memory and hegemonic forces.
Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a
Fashion reflects the attitudes of a society more than any other art form. Like art, fashion is a material record of the ideals that swayed the nations at the time of their creation. Through examining the styles, and tastes of a particular era, we can realize where the interests and priorities of a time lie. As Frank Parsons wrote in his 1920 study, The Psychology of Dress, "There is surly no better field in which to trace the devious paths of human thought than in that of clothes, where man has ever given free play to self expression, in a way which, thought not always a credit to his intelligence, is yet quite true to his innermost self, whether he will acknowledge it or
The fashion industry is rapidly growing and constantly generating new fashion trends almost weekly. Fashion for some may seem ridiculous and unnecessary; but fashion is not just a meaningless usage of article of clothing or farcical materials sew together for coverage. There is more to fashion than meets the eyes, fashion is precious and significant. It is a reflection of self-image, it speak the ream about who we are and how we review ourselves. Not only is fashion the reflection of self-image but also the reflection of our history as Coco Channel have said, “Fashion is not something that exist in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Fashion
Fashion-conscious teenage girls are fond of wearing pink and other super-feminine clothes whereas older women, being brought in the workforce during the peak of Japan’s bubble economy during the 1980’s, have become fond of luxury designer items and high fashion, which can sometimes be noted through the suits they wear for work. Women who have high positions in global corporations usually wear designer suits, the designer usually being either European or American.
“When you try on something, you have to ask yourself, 'How many ways could I wear this? Could I wear it to work? To dinner or drinks? Will it span the seasons' If you have to think too hard about those questions, then skip it.” Said by Michael Kors. Fashion has been around over centuries. People have become more interested in their image to make them self-feel better and also to impress others. This new invention opened doors to a lot of people around the world. It has created interaction with country overseas and so much more today. Fashion had been a way to express your self because it embraces your personality in a unique way.
Chapter five of Crispin Sartwell’s ‘Six Names of Beauty’ discuss the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-sabi. Sartwell begins the chapter by describing a harmonica that he started playing at the age of fourteen. During the recount, which included a detailed description of an old CD, Sartwell shows an evident appreciation for the aged item and it’s imperfection. “The damage on its surface—its crackles and skips—traces my intense relation to it, and gives it a kind of old-time-sounding authenticity.” His description of an old blues CD and the evident appreciation for the “crackles and skips”, is essentially wabi-sabi. But before explaining one of the most important aesthetic principle in Japanese aesthetics, Sartwell describes the language as
Fashion is truly the most popular mode of expression, it shows the world who one is and where one would like to be. Fashion is always changing and is worn by all different classes, cultures, and stages of life. The time period’s style is reflective of major influences like pop culture, musicians, political figures, celebrities, social issues, and other numerous possible variables. One can see how a society changes and evolves just by looking at what the people wore. In the past, there have been many different fashion trends due to historical events and cultural influences that have shaped what people wore during that time period. .
Before doing this assignment, I did not know much about Japanese-American art. From the media, I had a vague image of what traditional Japanese art looked like. I saw very old, traditional pieces that usually showed nature or religious deities. Some Japanese-American Artists include Mariko Mori, Takako Nagai, Yasumasa Moirmura Katsushika Hokusai, and Masaomi Teraoka. They are all of Japanese descent, but were raised in America. Because of this, many of them struggled between their Japanese and American identities. This struggle is often expressed in their artwork, such as Takako Nagai’s Self-Portrait. In the piece, she show a kimono (traditional japanese garment that;s usually worn by women) being destroyed by fire. All of their art mixes
To discover the traditional beauty of a Japan which is disappearing; to emphasise the importance of industrially produced clothes by using synthetic materials; to demonstrate the secret beauty of Japanese women. I am striving to create clothes which give paramount importance to the movement of the body. Rather than fashion that one puts on, I want to produce fashion that one takes off...for that is where the beauty of man’s primitive spirit is found. (Tokyo Vogue p44)
“Japanese culture definitely influences American fashion”- Jason Campbell. Japanese culture has influenced the world dramatically over time through acculturation. The advancements have greatly benefited the world in which they live. Not only in Japan, their culture has its examples across the globe. Japan, the land of the rising Sun, has influenced the world culturally the most through their innovations in three main industries: domestic and commercial transportation, war machines, and broadcasting.
The fashion industry is one of the most prevalent and visible forms of influence on today’s society. Billboards, malls, magazines, TV, movies, advertisements, runways, etc. are filled with fashion campaigns usually distributed to make a statement and to influence the consumers. Often times, the fashion industry engages in offensive promotions like romanticizing eating less and the “thigh gap” or producing clothing that has “depression” plastered all over it. One of the most offensive trends of the fashion industry is the use of cultural appropriation to promote their company or clothing. Cultural appropriation is the taking of something produced by members of one culture by members of another culture. The products of that culture usually have a special sacred or cultural significance to them, which is why cultural appropriation is seen as offensive and exploiting rather than appreciated. The public tends to overlook these extreme messages and appropriation from the fashion industry, brushing them off as trendy and ideal. This becomes a problem because the fashion industry’s blatant use of cultural appropriation in editorials and ads influences people to show admiration for products from other cultures yet still remain prejudiced against the people who created and continue to practice that culture.