Muse: Issue 02

PHOTOGRAPHER: Silas Chu, @silas_shc
MODELS: Agatha Tutia, @allaboutaggie
FASHION SHOW: a.oei studio, @a.oei_studio
designs in person, but as an audience,
we unknowingly inspire the culture and
ideals in which the world of fashion is
founded on.
As individuals, we are able to shape
the cultural identity of our society
through creating music, art, and technological
advances unique to our current
decade. Current and traditional culture
from around the world is embedded
into shows to broaden its audience and
to promote diversity in fashion design.
It’s important to recognize the difference
between a designer incorporating
cultural elements from the perspective
of appreciation and education rather
than a self-serving, irreverent perspective.
Some positive examples include
Chanel’s 2016/17 Cruise show in
Cuba, which incorporates Cuban culture
through its use of local musical artists
performing on the runway, and its
location being physically on the streets
of Cuba. The models in the show are
diverse and represent the demographics
of the area in a way appropriate and
important to runway culture. Lagerfeld’s
As a general public,
we may not find
our names on the
exclusive invitation
lists, but we can see
elements of ourselves
within the music that
represents our experiences
and within
the designs that tell
our stories.
pieces in the collection all have a certain
ease representing the free spirited
Cuban culture of the early 1900’s. Guo
Pei, the genius behind Rihanna’s iconic
yellow ensemble at the 2015 Met Gala,
is a specialist in incorporating ethnic
culture into runway fashion. She integrates
traditional Chinese design into
intricate headdresses, dramatic gowns,
and beautiful shoes. This aspect of high
fashion reveals how we as an audience
actually do impact the looks we see in
the seemingly distant and elite runway
scene. We influence our society’s culture,
which then inspires high fashion.
The integral link between the individual
and largely known name brands can
further be found within the designs of
local artists as well as the atmosphere
of their shows. These shows are often
more personal and organic. Through
these designs, the designer’s identity
is clear and at the forefront. They are
unapologetically revealing parts of themselves
within their shows, an aspect that
prestigious high fashion can sometimes
lack. Local fashion culture demonstrates
the possibilities of what the fashion industry
can become when it embraces an
intimate approach of sharing designs.
The prestigious nature of the world
of fashion fosters the captivating unattainability
of runway culture which draws
us all in.
ISSUE 02: SUBCULTURES IN FASHION
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