Amaaima Fareed takes a look at how Fashion Weeks around the world may seem different – but really have more in common than you expect.
This month has seen the start of a global fashion celebration, with New York kicking off Fashion Weeks around the world. From emerging new talent and fresh new looks on the runway, we were presented with both the weird and wonderful and were not disappointed.
We can see a massive shift in how different political, cultural and societal issues are displayed in fashion. The catwalk has officially become a place to make a bold statement. The great thing about fashion is it breathes inclusivity no matter where you’re from or what your style is. It shows the power fashion holds and how trends are translated in so many ways to fit their audiences.
Eastern and Western style is one place where you can clearly see the difference in style and design. There is a massive contrast in formal, casual, and party wear. But there is a parallel between the shape, cuts and colour of the garments. It’s nothing new that the Western design industry has sometimes adopted an Eastern style that’s given a fresh look to their collections and vice versa.
Gigi Hadid strutted her stuff at New York Fashion week at the Oscar de La Renta show wearing a gown that took inspiration from South Asia and Morocco, in a style similar to a kurta. Gigi wore bright yellow trousers paired with a long white striped fabric with slits down both sides, resembling a kameez. Her look definitely got everyone talking. The uncanny resemblance to a traditional, casual clothing pieces in Asia had a beautiful twist, with the pop of colour and cut out detailing. Similarly, the
designs from Lakme Fashion Show had an ethnic vibe with long shirt dresses and flowy trousers.
Beautiful and delicate dresses accessorised with real baby’s breath delicately wrapped around each arm gave each design a greater impact. The Rodarte dresses dip into a pale colour palette with soft and subtle embellished details. Whereas the beautiful mermaid style lengha by designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla is heavily embellished, creating its own charm complimented with the baby’s breath. Both designs, one from the East and the other Western demonstrates beauty and a timeless style that is helped with the clever display of inexpensive soft blooms.
As well as displaying similar fashion styles, designers from around the globe highlighted a range of important social and cultural issues on the ramp. Maheen Khan’s ‘Liberation’ collection from Pakistan Fashion Week delivered an engaging show that addressed discrimination and the #MeToo movement through her work. Across the globe, Rihanna debuted her Savage X Fenty lingerie line closing New York Fashion Week. Her show was the most diverse show yet that challenged the industry’s stereotypical standards of beauty, and included women of all difference shape, size, colours and ethnicities proving beauty comes in all forms.
It’s clear to see that Fashion Weeks now hold a greater purpose. With innovative new styles and looks there has been a considerable change and a need to express how we feel about today’s current events. This shows and demonstrates the power of fashion and the different effects it has in many different industries. Any future collections that will be shown are sure to be unique and impactful in their own way to engage with the audience, and to leave a lasting effect.
