Preserving cultural codes in the face of globalization is a major concern in the world today and a key challenge for the fashion industry, which has always largely relied on national traditions, symbols and values. A number of discussions and the Heritage exhibition at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit will explore this subject. We looked into the concept for the exhibition together with project supervisor Olga Mikhailovskaya, fashion observer and co-founder of FRONT, an online platform for Russian brands.
The exhibition is called Heritage, not “Origins” or “Roots” – other words we use to speak about cultural codes. What exactly did you want to highlight by using this specific word?
Roots are not necessarily something useable today, whereas heritage means something integrated into modern practices. I have always found the resilience of traditions and folk crafts very important. All the items displayed at the exhibition are fashion pieces. And they look modern on the mannequins. This exhibition aims to show how folklore and national heritage live on today and the extent it can be utilized instead of just being stored in museums.
Brands that draw inspiration from national traditions usually reveal such traditions and crafts to the general public. Will the Heritage exhibition offer such revelations?
The timeliness of folklore heritage mentioned is our main revelation. And the BRICS countries possess the richest heritage. Not France or Italy, which have long forgotten much of their folklore, but China, India, Brazil and Peru, where all things folk are still alive and authentic.
It is interesting to observe just how designers work with heritage, though the understanding of it might differ. We see that some designers literally use the same crafts as people did centuries ago, while others reimagine traditional codes, symbols and values on an emotional level to produce a strong response from the audience. For example, you see an exhibit and know right away that it was made by someone from China, the creator being driven by the culture and mentality of that specific country. And you know this not because of some special colors and shapes used but rather because of an emotional connection, a sensory immersion in the graphic nature of China. This again demonstrates the stamina of heritage, its ability to move us, to trigger strong reactions, to work on us through a variety of mechanisms.
The focus on national roots and folklore is one of the trends in modern fashion. But don’t you think this move has already become a new global marketing technology, an easy way for young designers to bring themselves into the spotlight?
Yes, we are already seeing this problem. Of course, it is hard to tell how sincerely a certain designer works with heritage, with their national roots. But we can look at their works and feel the talent behind them. Where there is artistic talent, the intent is always sincere.
The topic of cultural exchange, which is so crucial to global fashion, often comes hand in hand with the cultural appropriation issue. How can one avoid crossing this fine line?
I am so glad that global disputes about cultural appropriation have lost some of their steam. In response to these disputes, culture experts and art historians have explained multiple times that the entire history of culture is one of cultural appropriation, or otherwise there would have been no culture. This is precisely the way culture develops, and fashion even more so. In fact, it has often been the case that by copying the heritage of one culture the other gained worldwide recognition and became part of the global heritage. As for our exhibition, it simply cannot trigger any criticism as it showcases designers who only use their own cultural codes.
2022 was declared the Year of the Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia. What are the developments in Russian fashion today: which regions with their unique cultural codes stand out in the country’s fashion industry?
Well, first of all it is the Russian North: Karelia, Pomorye and Arkhangelsk made a loud appearance in the fashion sector several years ago and still remain in the limelight. Clothes designed using folk art traditions of the Russian North look surprisingly modern. Besides, sometimes there is no need to interpret folk patterns: they are inherently minimalist and stylish. Just make replicas from peasant shirts – and they will look really trendy.
Another interesting region is Tatarstan, bright with oriental colors but also quite minimalistic in forms. Bashkortostan and Yakutia can make a fabulous contribution to fashion, the latter being all by itself a fantastic region in terms of clothes, costumes and folk jewelry traditions.
You teach a fashion journalism course at the British Higher School of Art and Design. How do you encourage your students to integrate cultural codes in modern fashion?
It is interesting that in every course I teach there is at least one student who writes a project on the use of ethnic codes. This trend is completely new, whereas it used to sound like a strange topic for a project. Now people just come to me and say they want to do it, with no inspiration on my part. It would certainly be impossible for me to suggest to them how precisely to integrate cultural codes into modern fashion. This is because working with heritage involves creativity that comes from within. It must be sincere if it is to result in something exciting and skilled.
