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Art & Culture in Fashion

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Turkey’s Islamic Fashion Revolution. ISTANBUL — The models, tall and lithe and strutting down the runway to the beat of Moroccan-themed house music, are from Russia and Eastern Europe.

Turkey’s Islamic Fashion Revolution

They could be displaying the latest designer styles in Paris or New York, but instead they are here, in Istanbul, wearing high heels, flowing tunics and colorful head scarves. The fashion show, part of Istanbul Modest Fashion Week, was held at an Ottoman-era railway station, with old-fashioned train cars and vintage luggage as props. This is not the Islamic fashion of Riyadh or Kabul, nor is it the dark and dreary dress stereotyped in the West. Islamic fashion here is a colorful, creative and joyful enterprise. It is also a huge business. “We’re taking over,” said Dina Torkia, a Muslim fashion blogger from London, who wears a head scarf and was mobbed by fans hoping for a photo. Photo Under Turkey’s old hard-line secular system, the head scarf, or hijab, was seen as a symbol of backwardness and banned in government offices and schools. Mr. Mr. 'The average size in the UK is a 16, so why don't we see that on the catwalk?' London Fashion Week kicks off with plus-size protests 

West Africans are ditching Dutch wax prints for Chinese made copies of material like Vlisco's — Quartz. Since the early 20th century, Vlisco has produced African print cloth—otherwise known as Dutch wax prints.

West Africans are ditching Dutch wax prints for Chinese made copies of material like Vlisco's — Quartz

This vibrantly colored and intricately patterned fabric dominates West African markets and is globally recognized as quintessentially “African.” Ironically, this iconic bold cloth was originally forged by Dutch colonial companies attempting to mechanically reproduce handmade Javanese batik cloth. When this failed to take off in Southeast Asia, Dutch traders began to sell the cloth in West African markets. The patterns were modified to fit local tastes and quickly became popular.

The rise of mass-produced, Dutch wax prints partially displaced domestic textiles, which lacked the colorfastness and material lightness that ultimately made wax prints an essential everyday consumer good. Today, the majority of Dutch designs available on African markets are low-cost reproductions made in China. New market players undercut originals Hitarget is the market leader among Chinese upstart brands.

OMA designs The Met's Manus x Machina fashion and technology exhibition. Gucci to launch cultural program with Chatsworth House. Fashion Jobs and Fashion News in the USA Fashion jobs, Fashion news and all other possible information about the fashion world fashion professionals need.

Gucci to launch cultural program with Chatsworth House

Fashion jobs in the United States of America, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and a Fashion News archive and links to international fashion jobs. Met's Costume Institute to exhibit "Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion" Fashion Jobs and Fashion News in the USA Fashion jobs, Fashion news and all other possible information about the fashion world fashion professionals need.

Met's Costume Institute to exhibit "Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion"

Fashion jobs in the United States of America, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and a Fashion News archive and links to international fashion jobs. Oasis x V&A Collection shop now: Laura Jackson models range. Now that garden party season is finally upon us (we can see a teeny tiny bit of sun behind those clouds, honest) it's time to shop for some new outfits.

Oasis x V&A Collection shop now: Laura Jackson models range

Our first stop: Oasis. Why? Because Oasis has teamed up with the V&A Museum for an exclusive capsule fashion collection. We've seen it in person and it's lust-worthy. Regular shoppers of Oasis will know they love a good print, but now the high-street favourite brings to life some V&A prints that date back centuries. Modelled by TV presenter Laura Jackson, the collection is based around 11 beautiful botanical prints - all hand-selected from over hundreds in the museum's archive, by the Oasis in-house design team. The team worked closely with the V&A to retain the authenticity of the original printed fabrics and designs, and each one has been artfully re-imagined. 10% of profits from all flip flops sold will be donated back to the brothers' Orphans for Orphans charity that builds Children's Homes across the globe.

Shop the collection here.