From East to West: exploring the fusion of Asian and European Fashion
As fun as it is to write about current trends and the newest rom-com, for this week I wanted to attempt writing a piece that digs a bit deeper. Something that interests me and has a slightly more educational side to it. The symbiotic relationship between Asian influence and European fashion.
I’ve never been to Asia, so my idea of what it’s like is all shaped through its influence and social media representation. Which is even larger than I imagined it to be. As a one woman team, there was no way of covering absolutely every way in which Asia has influenced British fashion, so I’ve rounded it up into four categories.
History:
I think it’s always important to know background information on how and why we are where we are currently. Many different factors have contributed to the fashion world as we know it today, and to dismiss that process prevents credit being given where due. We’re in an era where kimono’s walk the red carpet (Heidi Klum) and roaring tigers are designed into garments (Gucci). We’ve been centring our fashion choices around Asia for years. So how did we get here?
The intercultural exchange began back in the 2nd century BCE. It originated between China and The Roman Empire when the Europeans became aware of the materials that China had to offer. There was also a network named the “Silk Road”, which Europeans used to transport textiles such as lucrative silk.
Asia’s potential for fashion really shone through to Europe and we began to take on their style. For example: the Mao Suit, often seen on villains in James Bond movies, became a trend in Europe many years down the line.
Nine years ago, The Met Museum held an exhibition, “China: through the looking glass”, paying homage to the far east . It held a selection of gorgeous Chinese dresses and included 130 pieces of haute couture, we saw names such as YSL and Chanel contributing to the showcase.
Influencers:
There’s no denying we are an influencer run society. Even subconsciously, we are sponges soaking in their content whether we are aware of it or not. Even a simple scroll down TikTok and I’ve spent £8 on a pair of gym leggings that are supposedly the “best fit ever”.
It comes as no shock that a huge part of trend setting is based on social media and content creation. When having a look online for Asian influencers, I became aware of how they’re taking the algorithm by storm.
Ayla Dimitri is a fashion influencer and content creator who has over 51k followers on TikTok. Her content consists of GRWM’s (get ready with me), unboxing’s and event reporting. As humans, we strive to have commonalities with those we look up to, and fashion is a very easy way to achieve this.
It isn’t even about fashion influencers specifically. Comedy content creator Niharika NM shares funny content with her 3.4 million Instagram followers who have taken a liking to her personality. What Niharika wears may be a background thought, but it’s still right in front of our eyes. When we see someone we like, wearing something that speaks to us, we are far more likely to invest. It’s more personal than a commercial advert.
Asian culture is being spread through the power of social media, and Europeans are responding.
To give another example, look at Jennie Kim, South Korean singer, and rapper from girl group BLACKPINK. Our generation admires Jennie’s fashion sense, when walking a red carpet or attending a fashion week event, she never misses.
Designers:
Fashion simply would not exist without the iconic designers that have led the way. As time passes on, more and more creatives are surfacing, and new designs are shaping a brand new world.
One extremely popular design house that has taken from Asian influence would be Gucci. Creative Designer Alessandro Michele created a ‘Roaring Tiger Range’ back in 2022 in celebration of the “Year Of The Tiger”. The motif was not, however, new to Gucci as the design originates back to late 1960’s when Vittorio Accornero first explored the idea. The ‘Roaring Tiger’ is now a popular design and can be seen on garments worn by those in the spotlight on a regular basis.
Yohji Yamamoto shows his Asian roots through his clothing whilst taking on a contemporary angle. Yohji is re-defining the rules of fashion and adapting his collections to ensure they will last the test of time. For SS20, the “Y-3” collaboration between Yohji and Adidas saw a new silhouette of sneakers emerge into the fashion world. The shoes contain the “unmistakable Superstar DNA in both silhouettes”. Here we see a popular brand in the UK (Adidas) being elevated by Asian influence.
As to be expected, we are also being blessed with the creative clothing of many up and coming Asian designers. Yogie Pratama has recently been seen on the red carpets, worn by Ariana Greenblatt at the Barbie premier in LA. Pratama’s collections are full of florals, feminine motifs, and bows. All very on trend for 2024.
Not only are we taking influence from Asian designers, patterns, and motif’s, but we are also taking on Asian sewing patterns. For example: Shibori, a Japanese hand waving technique.
Models:
One last area that I thought would be interesting to look at was the Asian influence on the model world. By no means is the modelling profession as diverse as it should be, but we are seeing a slow increase in inclusion.
Chinese model Liu Wen was named the first Asian supermodel by OK! China, and has worked with brands such as Tiffany and Co, Estee Lauder and made history as the first Chinese Victoria’s Secret Model. Liu is now a Chanel Ambassador.
Soo Joo Park, a model from Korea, has worked with the likes of MAC and Tom Ford and has covered magazines such as Vogue Korea.
The model world is growing, and we see and feel their influence daily. Our younger generation will hopefully be surrounded by those of different ethnicities, body types and origins. Asia’s influence on the British fashion world is bound to grow.
The topic as a whole is so interesting, but also so big. Numerous different fashion magazines can provide more information if you’re interested!