Ethnic Influences on Apparel Design

Apparel design is heavily influenced by ethnicity. Depending on climate, comfort and beliefs, ethnicity dictates how an item is designed. When designers produce a design or a concept for a design they have to do research. Every designer considers thier target market and then makes designs which revolve around that (target market). If a designer was trying to produce items of clothing to a Muslim target market, they certainly wouldn't include tennis shoes and halter tops. They would more likely include shawls and dishdashs.

In some Islamic traditions women wear burqa's, which are outer garments which cover the whole body including the face. The only time a women can remove her burqa is when she is in the household. Women have to wear the burqa because of Taliban beliefs of modesty.

Not only does religion inspire clothing but a lot of designers incorporate different religious elements into their clothing. For example many individuals wear beaded sandals and slippers, this is originally an Indian concept. Many shirts, dresses, and skirts are also influenced by African kente cloth. All in all all apparel design is influenced by ethnic values because every designer has a target market, and every individual has an ethnicity.

(picture from http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h224/cinna07/02-8.jpg)

New York Fashion Week

Personally, I enjoyed all of the Spring 2009 collections. This is because it seemed as though mostly all of the designers had collections that were either wearable in the streets or I could see entertainers wearing them at awards shows. Although some collections did have outfits that were "outlandish" I enjoyed the neutral color outfits that were enticed with a splash of color.

The designer I enjoyed most was Oscar De La Renta. His Spring 2009 collection, in my own words, was "simple, sexy elegance." I could vision this line, in particular, being worn by many celebrities at different awards ceremonies, parties and charity benefits. Although Oscar De La Renta has been around for a very long time, I could see individuals from ages 20 to 60 wearing his clothing.

I love the chic elegance of the tops and bottoms. This collection gave a business look to outfits that you could wear while shopping on Rodeo drive or 34Th street in New York. If this collection would be worn by a middle class individual, the items of clothing would give the individual a look of higher class and sophistication. The clothing would make you feel like your someone of importance.

I love how Oscar De La Renta spiced up certain looks with big sunglasses and high beehive like hair-do's. Although some outfits were simple chic, others reflected a more edgy look, like an outfit with yellow, black, and blue stripes with a skirt with yellow and black splashes of color. More simple outfits were made interesting by the addition of belts, broaches and edgy cuts.

Overall, Oscar De La Renta's kept my interest because there was no single theme. He had outfits that were simple, like black and white, and outfits that were colorful, with floral and stripe designs. His use of accessories, like belts and necklaces, gave a clever touch to his outfits because they added texture and uniqueness to the line.

Organic and Environmental Friendly Clothing

I believe that everyone should wear organic and environmental friendly clothing. This is because most of the clothing our generation wears is full of chemicals and pesticides. I don't want to contract cancer from wearing a cute cotton shirt if I can wear an organic cotton shirt and have less chances of contracting it.

The one problem that I have about organic and environmental friendly clothing is that it is very expensive. Stores like Walmart, Target, and Forever 21 sell clothing for reasonable prices. However, if I went to an organic clothing store I would spend $25.00 on a shirt that I could get for $5.00. Also, some organic fibers irritate my skin, such as hemp and wool.

Even though I believe that everyone should wear organic and environmental friendly clothes, the reality is that everyone won't. Most people, including myself, cannot afford a $25.00 tank top or would rather spend their money on a $5.00 tank top and take the remaining $20.00 to purchase food. When it comes to thinking safely most people would rather take the cheap route, and with gas prices at a all time high I would rather spend money on a tank of gas to get around than a irritating hemp shirt. All in all, organic clothing is the safer option but with my unemployed college student salary, I am going to have to stick with fertilized clothing from Forever 21.