Past Behaviour: Asian Persuasion
Nothing in Fashion is more repetitive than the borrowing and re-inventing of other cultures’ style, costumes and dress. Throughout history and for centuries, European fashion has looked to foreign lands and their people to gather inspiration and bring fresh and new re-invented or appropriated fashion and style to their society.
My collection for Past Behaviour looks to Europe’s past and Orientalism, which looked to Asian societies for items from shawls to home décor. Orientalism made its way into European homes through housewares, art and clothing throughout the 19th century. My incorporation of Orientalism
in my collection speaks through the traditionally imported Asian fabrics in the 19th century including Ikat fabric, a weave traditional to Japan produced on a special loom known as an Omaki-Dai. The cuts of my clothing in the long cut coats relects also Orientalism in the style of Japan’s traditional Samurai warrior dress. My modernized spin on this is the incorporation of bright contrasting zippers to the traditional fabrics being used in a non-traditional way. The coats feature zippers along the shoulder blades and collars and the skirts feature zippers along their seams that enable the wearer to unzip these like vents and expose the interior contrasting fabrics in different ways as well as change the style of the garment.
Since Orientalism, a modern irony to Orientalism is how Asian societies have become inluenced by North America, borrowing culture such as popular television, music and fashion trends from the U.S.A. and appropriating them for their society. Many forms of this appropriation can be seen in popular clothing tends in Japan such as Lolita and Harajuku style. These two styles pull together a mix of different styles and trends to become identiiable as Japanese street style inluenced by numerous North American fashion trends. In my collection I have pulled this blend of cultural inluences together by incorporating modern cuts in my clothing, bright and colourful zippers and trims as well as bringing them to life with the prints and colours of my chosen fabrics.
I have taken a combination of these two trends, pulling together inspiration from Orientalism, using traditional Japanese fabrics in my clothing such as woven Ikat fabrics and long Samurai style cut coats in bright colours with contrasting zippers. As well I have incorporated Americanized style adopted in Japan such as Harajuku and Lolita styles using bright contrasting colours in zippers, asymmetrical cuts and wild prints. The use of indings such as contrasting zippers allow for the garments to constantly change and re-invent themselves and allows the wearer to make their garment their own by personalizing them in the way they wear the garments. These two combined trends in my collection pull together to create a new form of cultural appropriation, past behaviour and leads to the title of my collection Asian Persuasion.
Cute and Curious
Hailing from Nova Scotia, Alysia Myette now lives and works in the city of Toronto, Ontario. She is currently a Ryerson University Fashion Design student, and formerly a Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University Textiles and Fashion Design student. Alysia Myette is driven, passionate and full of energy which shines through her work ethic and creations. Art and Fashion remain constantly fused and incorporated in her process to bring her clothing to life. Nothing inspires her creations more than a great colour palette and bright fun prints. Alysia Myette’s label, sold online at Etsy: “Cute and Curious”, embodies all things bright, whimsical and lighthearted. All fabrics used for creations by Alysia Myette are purchased through local fabric stores and are all made by hand. With a passion for fashion and an
eye for colour and prints, Cute and Curious by Alysia Myette brings together a sensational combination of jovial style inspiring everyone to just have fun!