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A Fusion Statement
This is the age of individualism and expression and nowhere is it more reflected than in the fashion world. Being modern and beautiful in today’s world is all about balancing the ethnic designs with modern cuts to create a stylish impact. In other words, with the growing interest in global cultures and the desire to look different, East-West fusion is a mighty force, one that the local theatre scene embraced at the 4th Straits Times' Life! Theatre Awards on Mar 29. This fusion shows the flexibility of man who has found an avenue to express both modernisation and tradition without having to compromise one or the other. Taking tradition into modern times
The East has over 5,000 years of rich culture to offer. And increasingly, fashion designers have understood that the intricacies which lie in Eastern traditional fashion are an untapped resource. As such, much of today’s clothes have infused tradition into modern living. Even big fashion labels such British India , Versace, Zara and Guess have been drawing inspiration from eastern traditions, leading to the innovation of attractive fusion ideas. “Many traditional cuttings which [were] fashionable then, are setting the trends for today,” says Candy Wong manager of Mazzario by Mimi, an up-and-coming fashion boutique at youth fashion mecca Far East Plaza . “Traditional things can be modern as well. As long as it’s good, it will stay on,” adds the 21-year-old designer who draws her inspirations from her staunch “love of culture”, taking the concept of the old days and infusing them with those of the west today.
The fusion trend, with its immense popularity, may have helped in the spread of Asian influence into other cultures, by making it mainstream and acceptable, Non-Chinese are sporting with t-shirts of Chinese dragon prints, Chinese calligraphy tattoos while non-Indians are wearing dangly, chunky tinselled earrings matching them with Indian-inspired jewel-studded pouches and the popular mango motif. Some feel that this trend can be a compliment to their own cultures. Ratna Kaur, 25, a childcare teacher comments, “It’s great to see people gearing up [to] those fusion things. It helps promote different cultures especially when celebrities wear them.” However, as the world becomes a global village, fashion trends are shifting so rapidly that we are seeing a sprawl of global brands and doctrines threatening the unique identity of Asian cultures that have inspired these trends. Despite the increasing popularity of fusion, it cannot be denied that the deeper cultural meanings and symbolisms of ethnic designs are being taken for granted. People are hardly aware of the meanings that reside in almost every stitch of modern fusion apparel that is in vogue today as discovered when UrbanWire spoke to many consumers. “Actually, I don’t care where these things are from. I wear them because they are in fashion now,” says Jessica Tan, a 24-year-old undergraduate from the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM). Designs of Hindu gods and symbols embedded on apparel are simply worn to look unique and exotic. Buddhist power beads, also known as ‘malas’ have been glamorously transformed into fashion accessories today. “People who wear such things do not care of its relevance when they pick up something from the store. They can find it hip and cool but I see these items as sacred,” says Andrew Loh, a 34-year-old event manager who is a devout Buddhist.
“The younger generation don’t actually care what they are wearing. As long as it looks good on them and if their favourite idol wears it, they are satisfied,” commented Gayatri Iyer, 26, a claims officer. Over time, fusion may have led to the dilution of a culture’s relevance when people do not find it necessary to understand the significance of a particular ethnic couture’s symbolism. 32-year-old Indian fashion designer, Anamika Khanna, who is known for her Indo-western fusion designs, shares in an interview on www.fashionindia.net.com that “It’s of importance for Indian designs to be incorporated into international fashion, as… it has lead to popularity, recognition and awareness of Indian art. However, Indian sentiments have been hurt by using religious motifs in places not called for.” So, the next time you pick up something ‘ethnically-inspired’, stop and think again about the symbolisms embedded into that piece. We should be more sensitive towards cultures around us and not simply fall victims to fashion stints. After all, what you wear is what you are.
What you commonly wear and what it means:
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UrbanWire.com" Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore
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