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| 'Special Moment'© by Bubi Canal, NYC |
As you know, fashion has felt the fascination of exotic and
faraway folklore ever since Sergei Diaghilev's 'Ballet Russes'
debuted in Paris in 1909 becoming a prime source of design
inspiration. Countless ethnic influences can be easily traced
throughout the 20th century with different periods, from the
Orientalist fad of 100 years ago to the 1970s and the latest
African influences, in which ethnic style became
faraway folklore ever since Sergei Diaghilev's 'Ballet Russes'
debuted in Paris in 1909 becoming a prime source of design
inspiration. Countless ethnic influences can be easily traced
throughout the 20th century with different periods, from the
Orientalist fad of 100 years ago to the 1970s and the latest
African influences, in which ethnic style became
in effect a mainstream look.
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| from 'Far' editorial © by Addminimal creative studio photo © by Dobrin Kashavelov |
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| from ”Multiethnic Gallery” editorial, Vogue Italia, January 2013 © by Paolo Roversi |
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| both images from 'Cocktail'© by Namsa Leuba for WAD magazine n° 53 |
The ethnic touch - provided by African multicolored patterns,
block-printed fabrics, Ghanian kente cloth or by Asian silk
clothing, indigo dip dyeing, mythical dragons, lush florals
and fierce tigers - can actually spice up a look as in
block-printed fabrics, Ghanian kente cloth or by Asian silk
clothing, indigo dip dyeing, mythical dragons, lush florals
and fierce tigers - can actually spice up a look as in
jewelry as in fashion. Indian, Chinese, Japanese and African
cultures widely shape the Western world's fashion industry
(Mexican and Native American styles included) repeatedly
setting enduring trends that know neither gender nor age
strongly influencing designers, stylists and visual artists
as well as editorials and photo shoots.
cultures widely shape the Western world's fashion industry
(Mexican and Native American styles included) repeatedly
setting enduring trends that know neither gender nor age
strongly influencing designers, stylists and visual artists
as well as editorials and photo shoots.
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| © by Namsa Leuba from 'The African Queens' series, New York magazine, August 2012 |
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| Jean Paul Gaultier's couture s/s 2013, photo © by Style.com |
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| Manon Kündig's 'Bowerbird', © by Michaël Smits see 'finders keepers' |
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| Maison Martin Margiela's haute couture s/s 2013, photo © by NowFashion |
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| from 'Ancient Songs of Praise' © by Giampaolo Sgura for Vogue Japan, May 2014 issue |
Let's celebrate this weekend the never-ending charm of the
ethnic mood through a selection (obviously personal hence
incomplete) of beautiful pictures as a matter of preservation
of indigenous cultures, traditions and techniques worldwide
as well as the right key to blur even more the intercultural
barriers we still have to deal with in our
ethnic mood through a selection (obviously personal hence
incomplete) of beautiful pictures as a matter of preservation
of indigenous cultures, traditions and techniques worldwide
as well as the right key to blur even more the intercultural
barriers we still have to deal with in our
multiculturally growing societies.
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| from 'Ancient Songs of Praise' © by Giampaolo Sgura for Vogue Japan, May 2014 issue |