Fashion is carefully adapting to showcasing cultural heritage, here’s why
Fashion houses often speak lyrically about the tradition and history of their brand when presenting a new collection. It is seen as something to be proud of – a link to the past or an identity that should not be overlooked.
So why doesn’t cultural heritage also play a bigger role in the fashion industry?
Southeast Asian fashion e-commerce site Dia Guild recently held an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. It called on everyone to explore their roots, as well as craft stories and cultural identities.
“Cultural heritage is a way of life that a community passes on from generation to generation. This ranges from historical sites to cultural practices, including values and beliefs shared by different communities,” explains one of the co-founders of Dia Guild, Alia Farouk.
“It represents our history, uniting us to our past, present and future. It is one of the very first pillars that forms the foundation of who we are as people and binds us to our core identity.
In the context of fashion, she says designs can be “significant in documenting the identity of a nation”, for example the baju kebaya, or any other national costume.
“Something as simple as the length of skirt hems or the textiles used may differ from one small community to another and may reflect a nation’s geographic position, available resources, technological capabilities, trends society, the economic and political landscape, as well as their fundamental values,” comments Alia.
Read more: How a KL-born designer courted trouble over her cheongsam comment
Malaysian jewelry brand Talee was featured in the Dia Guild exhibition.
Founder Lorraine Lee says knowing her heritage and culture has given her a clearer sense of direction.
Nor is it something anyone can run away from.
“I often claim that my work is free from cultural influences, but I realized that it also exists because of my personal experience, which has been influenced by my birthplace, my family and my friends, and that is what inspired me to do what I do today.”
Lee, originally from Sabah, founded Talee while living in Canada. She brought it back to Malaysia when she returned here in 2019.
The brand offers jewelry made from beautifully knotted twine.
Lee discovered passion while helping her late father recover from an illness. Her father suffered from a hypoxic brain injury and was later encouraged to tie knots to help refresh his mind.
“A significant portion of the stories told through my work and my personal story with my father’s diagnosis were also inspired by moments from my childhood in Malaysia – the tropical ocean, the rainforest, the food and the people,” she notes.
Appropriation versus Appreciation
Fashion brands have indeed tried to highlight different cultures around the world. However, these attempts often end up mired in controversy and labeled as cultural appropriation.
Isabel Marant, for example, was accused of plagiarizing the traditional salad dressing of a Mexican community in 2015.
In 2019, Gucci caused an uproar by selling a helmet named “Indy Full Turban”. Social media users attacked him, saying such a “fashion accessory” was insensitive to Sikh culture.
When Loewe included traditional textile designs in its Spring/Summer 2018 collection, the brand was accused of ripping off indigenous Ecuadorian artisans and disrespecting them.
According to Alia, there is only a very fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation.
“Cultural appropriation is taking an aspect of a culture that doesn’t belong to you and simply using it as a fashion statement or for your own personal gain,” she points out.
“In contrast, cultural appreciation takes the time to understand the cultural significance of that garment and wear it in a way that does not disrespect their respective community.”
Read more: Dutch designer slammed for wanting to ‘see Malaysians dress again’
Alia says that while representing different cultures is extremely important, brands need to use the right models, more so to get the right understanding and storytelling.
For her, these actions are essential to highlight certain cultures with authenticity and respect.
Dia Guild, for example, provides context and credit to its partner brands. These come from all over Southeast Asia.
The three Malaysian co-founders speak to each brand personally, and after that there’s an additional interview where they can share their inspirations and creative processes behind the products.
A profile is additionally written and lives on the Dia Guild site. On each product page, there is also a section titled “Artisan’s Notes”, which reveals more about the item’s production process, or the underlying inspiration and cultural influence.
“The various fashion items directly linked to cultural traditions are not only about the fabrics from which they are made or the sewing techniques used. On a deeper level, they represent the struggles and triumphs felt within a specific community,” Alia points out.
She adds that the clothes someone wears can serve as a mode of storytelling for another person’s heritage, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Cases of mistaken identities have occurred in the past.
“Gingham, which is considered a British print, actually originated in Southeast Asia,” Alia explains, adding that it comes from the word ‘genggang’, which means ‘striped’.
Anything related to culture can be a sensitive subject. Fashion brand Nala Designs angered locals last year when the founder said in an interview that she wanted to see baju kurung come back and Malaysians dress well again.
Baju kurung is the staple of traditional fashion for Malaysian women. It never fell out of style.
Priscilla Shunmugam, a Kuala Lumpur-born, Singapore-based designer, got into trouble for equating modern Western clothing with social progressiveness.
She made the comment last September while answering a question during a webinar about why the cheongsam, a traditional dress worn by Chinese women, has always been a staple in her collections. The video was uploaded last week.
All of these underscore the importance of awareness and reiterate the need for the industry to be more aware.
After all, cultural heritage should in no way be diminished – however fashionable it may be, or relegated to a trend or fashion statement.