FASHION SHOWS; BORROWED OR AFRICAN CULTURE
One of the apparent realities of globalization is how it has inter-married cultures of great and small influences, and blurred the lines among hallmarks of specific histories. This makes for renowned recorded histories to still attract some silent dissentient views emanating from quarters of minority cultures unblessed with mainstream media.
Since fashion is a cardinal feature of every culture, it is almost immodest to copyright origins of certain trends to specific societies. Fashion is a construct; every society has its characters and idiosyncrasies that condition the forms and shapes of fashion trends.
However, the history of fashion or fashion design can be traced back to the starting of the nineteenth century when the dress designs were inspired from the dresses worn in royal courts. In furtherance of this, a fashion house in the city of Paris emerged and championed the trendy terrain of fashion.
Charles Frederick Worth, who christened Paris as the Fashion Capital of the world became recognized as the first ever fashion designer on record. He debuted House of Worth as a brand and was able to sway a sizeable chunk of international audiences with his fashion sense and designs.
Being the cynosure of innovations in fashion, Charles thriving later spurred other mavens like Paul Poi Ret, Patou, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin and Chanel.
Shrewd revolutions have not ceased ever since in fashion world. The entrance of contemporary designers, naming Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Marks and Spencers, Next, D&G to mention but few from the west, has brought more spectacular global colourations into the fashion world. In the African scene are Mina Evans, Fafali, Afroshic, Remi Lagos etc.
The crux, hallmark of fashion shows is birthed by intense commercialization in the industry. It became pertinent for designers to embark on radical crusades in order to explore the characters of their designs and fashion out variations in trends.
There is no definite landmark of fashion showcasing globally. This is due to the fact that access to mainstream media has not always been parallel; and since the shows, at large, were transient endeavors that only lasted in the minds of the audience while new exciting theatrical ideas were yet to unfold.
The first recorded fashion show hit the media in 1943, when a renowned American fashion publicist, Eleanor Lambert organized a Press Week, which dislodged the erstwhile popularity of the French as being the capital of world fashion from which ideas and innovations in fashion trends stem. As a PR maven, Lambert was able to recognize the vistas of breakthrough the media could afford American fashion industry. He was able to pan the focuses of magazines like Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, whose editors were besotted with French fashion. These magazines therefore started to confer respects on many American brands and subtly shut their visions on most Non-American labels.
In sequel, fashion shows and the media, obviously, cannot be alienated from each other. Media, whether mainstream or ora, are viable tools of social change. Many African countries, age long, have been calendared with various festivals and occasions that propagates cultures. These periodic festivals and rites are what a professor of mass communication, Frankb Ugboajah, coined oramedia.
Adire festival is apt.
In the cities of Abeokuta and Ibadan in Western Nigeria, adire was a major local craft between 1920s and 1930s. Adire, translated tie-and-die is the name given to indigo dyed cloth, which comes in varieties of dye techniques. Earliest trade fairs featured the aesthetic craftsmanship of the adire to other regions.
Other cultures in Nigeria and across Africa also have peculiar self made attires that all form spirit of uniqueness and serve as cohesive force for the people. However, the craftsmanship in fashion could not be identified to a designer, and thus, made branding impossible and deterred quality control with the entrance of half baked hands.
Fashion shows are vigorous merchandising; organized and sponsored by the pundits to theatricalize their various stylings, colours and fabrics through the use of models dressed and adorned in the promoted brands. The branded models are made to walk the catwalk on the open runways, each scripted in time and sequence.
The contemporary fashion shows are progenies of the westernization practically arranged to mould future designs. It is a confluence of fashion designers who are the original designers of promoted brands and other small house designers who produce for the mass markets. The designers creations are conditioned by street life, sports, music and ethnocentric variables. It becomes ineluctable for them to glean composite data from these quarters in aiding suitable forecast and productions
There are notable Prediction companies that gather global trends in fashion, interpret such and provide hints on meeting future demands in fashion. World Global Style Network remains a cynosure for designers of mass market designs.
Because of the ubiquity of western media, African culture seems to be almost supplanted by western culture, only that there is always a residue of african that still moves with the trends. Glocalization has given a fillip to adaptation of international concepts like fashion shows, music, games and sports across the globe without lethal impacts on the pre-existing structure.
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One of the apparent realities of globalization is how it has inter-married cultures of great and small influences, and blurred the lines among hallmarks of specific histories. This makes for renowned recorded histories to still attract some silent dissentient views emanating from quarters of minority cultures unblessed with mainstream media.
Since fashion is a cardinal feature of every culture, it is almost immodest to copyright origins of certain trends to specific societies. Fashion is a construct; every society has its characters and idiosyncrasies that condition the forms and shapes of fashion trends.
However, the history of fashion or fashion design can be traced back to the starting of the nineteenth century when the dress designs were inspired from the dresses worn in royal courts. In furtherance of this, a fashion house in the city of Paris emerged and championed the trendy terrain of fashion.
Charles Frederick Worth, who christened Paris as the Fashion Capital of the world became recognized as the first ever fashion designer on record. He debuted House of Worth as a brand and was able to sway a sizeable chunk of international audiences with his fashion sense and designs.
Being the cynosure of innovations in fashion, Charles thriving later spurred other mavens like Paul Poi Ret, Patou, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin and Chanel.
Shrewd revolutions have not ceased ever since in fashion world. The entrance of contemporary designers, naming Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Marks and Spencers, Next, D&G to mention but few from the west, has brought more spectacular global colourations into the fashion world. In the African scene are Mina Evans, Fafali, Afroshic, Remi Lagos etc.
The crux, hallmark of fashion shows is birthed by intense commercialization in the industry. It became pertinent for designers to embark on radical crusades in order to explore the characters of their designs and fashion out variations in trends.
There is no definite landmark of fashion showcasing globally. This is due to the fact that access to mainstream media has not always been parallel; and since the shows, at large, were transient endeavors that only lasted in the minds of the audience while new exciting theatrical ideas were yet to unfold.
The first recorded fashion show hit the media in 1943, when a renowned American fashion publicist, Eleanor Lambert organized a Press Week, which dislodged the erstwhile popularity of the French as being the capital of world fashion from which ideas and innovations in fashion trends stem. As a PR maven, Lambert was able to recognize the vistas of breakthrough the media could afford American fashion industry. He was able to pan the focuses of magazines like Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, whose editors were besotted with French fashion. These magazines therefore started to confer respects on many American brands and subtly shut their visions on most Non-American labels.
In sequel, fashion shows and the media, obviously, cannot be alienated from each other. Media, whether mainstream or ora, are viable tools of social change. Many African countries, age long, have been calendared with various festivals and occasions that propagates cultures. These periodic festivals and rites are what a professor of mass communication, Frankb Ugboajah, coined oramedia.
Adire festival is apt.
In the cities of Abeokuta and Ibadan in Western Nigeria, adire was a major local craft between 1920s and 1930s. Adire, translated tie-and-die is the name given to indigo dyed cloth, which comes in varieties of dye techniques. Earliest trade fairs featured the aesthetic craftsmanship of the adire to other regions.
Other cultures in Nigeria and across Africa also have peculiar self made attires that all form spirit of uniqueness and serve as cohesive force for the people. However, the craftsmanship in fashion could not be identified to a designer, and thus, made branding impossible and deterred quality control with the entrance of half baked hands.
Fashion shows are vigorous merchandising; organized and sponsored by the pundits to theatricalize their various stylings, colours and fabrics through the use of models dressed and adorned in the promoted brands. The branded models are made to walk the catwalk on the open runways, each scripted in time and sequence.
The contemporary fashion shows are progenies of the westernization practically arranged to mould future designs. It is a confluence of fashion designers who are the original designers of promoted brands and other small house designers who produce for the mass markets. The designers creations are conditioned by street life, sports, music and ethnocentric variables. It becomes ineluctable for them to glean composite data from these quarters in aiding suitable forecast and productions
There are notable Prediction companies that gather global trends in fashion, interpret such and provide hints on meeting future demands in fashion. World Global Style Network remains a cynosure for designers of mass market designs.
Because of the ubiquity of western media, African culture seems to be almost supplanted by western culture, only that there is always a residue of african that still moves with the trends. Glocalization has given a fillip to adaptation of international concepts like fashion shows, music, games and sports across the globe without lethal impacts on the pre-existing structure.
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