Native patterns, tribal prints

http://www.proza.ru/2020/03/31/1191
Статья на русском языке.

Native American geometric patterns, African tribal prints - these are the anchor motifs that become the idols of collections of different years. What caused the interest in ethnics among designers of world brands?

Ethnics raises the mood, gives mystery and unusualness with external simplicity. In the 2014 spring-summer collection, Prada, Celine, Tod’s, Valentino chose a riot of tints, bright decor. They abandoned minimalism in favor of ethnic coloring and fullness of life, used an unusual decor - fringe and appliques to create colorful saturated images.

In the traditional costume there was not a single thoughtless detail: jewelry and ornament were not only and not so much aesthetic as symbolic, even magical. Elements of an ethnic ensemble are often similar in both male and female versions. This feature gives them a special charm. Details of the men's costume in the women's folk ensemble emphasize femininity and subtle girlish beauty best.

Studying the history of the costume, we can learn a lot of interesting things about the identities of different peoples and ethnic groups, learn something new about their socio-political system and the geographical features of the area where they lived. Traditional costumes convey the history of their people, give the imagination the opportunity to paint a picture of the nature of their land, complement it with flora and fauna, determine the main occupations of people. It is for these reasons that the ethnic clothing of representatives of various peoples differs from each other in the materials from which the clothing was made, ornamentation and other decorative elements. For example, the meander ribbon of the ornament, which borders the edges of Greek national clothing, symbolizes the waves of the sea; a floral ornament on a traditional costume of the Circassians imitates the flora (buttercups) and fauna (tours) of the native land.

I would really like to see interpretations of traditional costumes of the peoples of the Caucasus. Indeed, Abkhazian, Kabardian, Balkarian, Ossetian and other ethnic costumes impress with the aristocracy, elegance, individuality and sophistication of everyone who sees them. The traditional women's costume in the cultures of different ethnic groups of the Caucasus with some differences has a complex cut, multi-layered, but laconic and contrasting in the combination of the colors of the fabric and ornament. It creates a feeling of wholeness, monumentality, majesty and restrained inner beauty of the spirit.

Trends - feathers, fringe, rainbow prints, transparent materials - are rooted in the distant past. If the feathers on the rims of Prada and Louis Vuitton are associated with Native American leaders and O. Henry's story “The Ransom of Red Chief,” the fringe resembles the clothes of actors in westerns - the costumes of Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz in “Bandidas” by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg and Leonardo DiCaprio and Sharon Stone in "The Quick and the Dead" by Sam Raimi. However, further sources can be found that laid the foundation for these traditions. Even the ancient Sumerians, who lived in the interfluve of the Tigris and Euphrates in the 4th millennium BC, decorated the edges of the clothes with fringe, and its length depended on the nobility of the owner. Only the kings and priests of Mesopotamia had the right to wear a band decorated with fringe. Just imagine that a modern woman can dress like the queen of Sumer or the priestess of Babylon!

The underground style classic. Leather for the first time served as the material from which they began to make clothes for the Babylonian warriors: narrow leather pants with fur inside, tied with a fringed belt. In the new season, the spikes gave way to fringe both on clothes and shoes, and on accessories (Tod’s, Gucci). Details of the costume, borrowed from the military clothing of the ancient Babylonians, have now become invariable attributes of women's wardrobe. In the new collection, Tod’s recreated them in a fringed leather skirt. A fringe flowing down the bodice (Rodarte) and encircling the waist (Miu Miu) causes associations with Arab countries, suggesting belly dance.

During the Brazilian carnival, dancers make out costumes with feathers. This African tradition came to Brazil in the 1970s along with immigrants. The feather symbolizes victory over suffering and spiritual development. Carnival costumes are artworks, because representatives of various samba schools compete with each other not only in the ability to dance samba.

Transparent clothes. This tradition has its origins in ancient Egypt. It was the pharaohs and noble Egyptian women who wore a transparent cloak over their basic clothes (schenti or kalasiris). Modern designers dress their models in transparent suits (Lacoste), transparent dresses (Max Mara), transparent raincoats (BLK DNM).

The current fashion provides great opportunities for self-expression, choosing your own style that matches the character and taste. An abundance of styles, trends and brands helps to emphasize self individuality and original appearance. After all, a costume helps us to “tell” others about ourselves, to reveal our inner world and make friends and like-minded people. The variety inherent in modern fashion helps you to perfect your taste, decide on your own unique style and give an elusive charm and sophistication to yourself as a person. The skillful use of ethnic motifs in the wardrobe gives creativity to the created image and invariably attracts attention.

Ethnics is chosen by creative persons. It allows you to remain yourself. The great Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who graced the cover of the French Vogue in 1939, always wore a Mexican folk costume. Embroidered blouses, silk shawls, and long traditional skirts were suited to her bright colorful appearance. Frida was a patriot of her homeland, which she never hid, on the contrary, she emphasized it with clothing, lifestyle and creativity.

Folk motifs and ethnic prints have always inspired designers to create intriguing and ambiguous, characteristic and colorful, vibrant, and at the same time original collections. Just recall the 2012 Chanel Indian collection, created by the legendary Karl Lagerfeld. It is amazing that he was able to convey the spirit of India, relying solely on his rich imagination. The Chanel Metiers d'Art (Mastery) 2019 collection is one of Karl Lagerfeld's latest creations - akin to time travel. Gold color, usekh collar and the crown of Nefertiti - now everyone can try on the role of the Egyptian queen. “Ancient Egyptian civilization always fascinated me. Inspired by the idea, I translate it into reality, ” the author said.

The cruise collection 2020 of the French fashion house Balmain also includes images a la “Wild Wild West”: wide-brimmed hats, poncho, Mexican ornament and long fringe.

Dolce & Gabbana remains faithful to the Italian theme, due to which it retains its originality and popularity, opening up more and more new facets of the native culture.

Modified by the hand of a master, traditional motifs framed with modern materials are a unique combination of traditions and innovations, this is what attracts millions of us to collections on ethnic themes, regardless of country of residence, age and ethnicity.