INDEX
Fashion as a Medium for Sharing Culture
-Do these approaches to expression create a new vision of fashion?
Kurino：Wales Bonner’s Autumn/Winter 2024 Paris Men’s Collection was themed around Howard University, an American institution established for African Americans. Howard University was founded during a time when African Americans were denied entry to prestigious universities in the U.S., providing a place where anyone of African descent residing in America could study. Although the university now has a diverse student body, it remains a stronghold for learning about African American history. Incorporating themes related to racial and cultural roots into fashion is inherently political, and Grace Wales Bonner’s approach to highlighting these themes is indeed innovative.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2RvQFnAvkr
-The update to the “fashion map” you mentioned seems to go beyond geographical identities, reflecting an archipelagic approach to unraveling one’s roots.
Kurino: She is an African British woman of Jamaican descent with British nationality, embodying multiple layers of identity. While these diverse layers might have been seen negatively as minorities 50 years ago, they can now become a source of identity. The Caribbean region, once shaped by British and French colonialism, has developed its own unique culture. By prominently showcasing and embracing Caribbean culture as an attitude, new values can be discovered.
-Traditionally, fashion often drew from myths and historical themes, but now, as seen with designers like Grace Wales Bonner, personal backgrounds, lifestyles, and tastes are becoming key sources of fashion imagination.
Kurino: Historically, fashion frequently explored themes from the Victorian era or the 18th century. However, I believe that the ways in which cultural sources of inspiration are utilized will continue to broaden. Even personal aspects that might seem meaningful only to the designer can resonate with a wider audience when expressed through their work. While references to one’s roots might not be widely known without a catalyst, fashion can serve as that catalyst in a positive way. It seems that Grace Wales Bonner is fully aware that her creations have the power to make these cultural aspects visible.
