COP: Essay Draft 1 (to send to Amber)

How is the portrayal of  East Asians in High Fashion affecting the representation of East Asian cultures and traditions today?

Introduction

The purpose of this essay is to explore various topics which revolves around the representation of East Asians within High Fashion and the role it has on the perspective of East Asian cultures today. The basis of this research is from a keen interest of East Asian cultures, as well as a personal relation to the theme of the topic itself. Especially, in today’s society where ‘Cultural Appropriation’ and ‘Stereotyping’ is such a sensitive issue, it will be interesting to know how High Fashion brands have dealt and explored East Asian cultures and their development to this day. Are they representing ethnic minorities respectfully or is it just ‘tokenism’? (using a small number of people form a minority in order to give the appearance of equality in a work environment) Although, there are also other ethnicities who are also being misrepresented – they are not to be forgotten. However, it seems as though from stereotypical ‘Asian’ traits of being naive and reserved, East Asian stereotypes are being ‘normalised’ and downplayed to ‘appreciating the Oriental aesthetics’ or ‘paying tribute to the aesthetics of the culture’.

Furthermore, High Fashion is a traditionally extravagant and conceptually driven field, therefore how brands reference and represent a culture in their collections and garments should provoke questions regarding; Appropriation, Stereotypes, Brand Identity and Consumer Identity. From old and traditional High Fashion lines to the present it is intriguing how cultures will be represented. Speaking of the present, information such as foreign cultures can be easily attained in today’s society and the technological advances has given consumers the power to garner knowledge they want rather than being given knowledge brands want them to have. Consumers are also subjective of the information they get therefore their perception will ultimately direct the reaction they’re going to have to designs and information being directed to them. This essay will hopefully uncover the issues centred around the topics above and give a clearer perspective on how it is being dealt and how it should be dealt with in the future.

Orientalism

The portrayal of East Asia and East Asian culture and traditions today has been rooted back to the idea of ‘Orientalism’. Orientalism as explained by Edward Said (1991, p. 2) in his book of the same name, “Orientalism is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between “the Orient” and most of the time) “the Occident.” The Orient being the East and the Occident being the West. It also roots from the idea of ‘Oriental’ inferiority and the need for Western intervention in order to develop the East Asian region more and to diminish their ‘primitive’ ways in order to be more progressive. Orientalism can also be seen as a result of a Westernised perception and knowledge of the East which in turn created an extremely monolithic view of the region; and can still be seen today. Furthermore, except the exaggerated depictions of East Asia, Orientalism was also used in order to establish an “Other” where Western hegemony and ideology became superior over the East and secure the West’s authority over the Eastern world. As Hall (1997, p. 259) described, crediting Foucault  ‘…’power/knowledge’…It classifies people according to a norm and constructs the excluded as ‘other’’. Similarly, Dyer (quoted in Hall, 1997) ‘The establishment of normalcy (i.e. what is accepted as ‘normal’) through social- and stereo-types is one aspect of the habit of ruling groups…to attempt to fashion the whole of society according to their own world view, value system, sensibility and appear (as it does appear to them) as ‘natural’ and ‘inevitable’…’. This highlights the Western domination in power and leadership on East Asia where the certainty of superiority was often overlooked and ‘natural’ therefore representation and reinforced knowledge about the East was seen as the true depiction of the region in the western world, which in some ways ultimately erased the real identity of the society, culture and traditions of the true East. As mentioned before, this ideology has stayed for centuries up to this day, and it has been reflected countless of times in Western society, and popular culture. In relation to popular culture, High fashion is a field where designers have the creative liberty to create garments and designs taken from their inspirations and research however, through the prevalence of the Western representation of East Asia, it became normalised and acceptable to create ‘Oriental’ inspired designs which came from inaccurate ‘exotic’ portrayals of East Asia in general.

For example, ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’ (Figure 1) a 2015 art exhibition held at Metropolitan Museum of Art which aimed to tackle misrepresentation of East Asian culture and art that were used by Western Haute Couture Designer’s in their work. Havis (2015) from South China Morning Post said ‘…the China reflected in the fashions in the exhibition is a fiction, a fabulous invention offering an alternative reality with a dreamlike nature’. This highlights again the aspect of Orientalism where East Asian culture is ‘exoticized’ and glorified in a way where it is advantageous to the use of the West and only further implies hegemony and superiority they created. He also mentioned that:

In showcasing the sources of inspiration that lie behind these Western fashion, an underlying premise became clear. It was a creative process of artists making connections: that's what they do. They are not inhibited by time or space or culture. They use influences even if they don't fully understand them. Or rather, they understand these things in their own way to solve creative challenges.

This clearly showcases the personal interpretation of acquired knowledge as western Fashion Designers ‘make connections’ instead of finding authenticity. The cultural and social artefacts they gain are used in their designs as a way to show a  ‘culturally appreciative’ intention of their designs, however to an audience perspective– especially to an East Asian audience, it seems to only focus on the visual aesthetics and how it could elevate their designs through usage of these ‘beautiful exotic’ stereotypes of East Asian culture – ‘othering’. Furthermore, to note the garments and pieces in the exhibition are in correspondence to inspirational objects, films, East Asian references etc. which contradicts the intention of the exhibition as the pieces should automatically speak for themselves, with their meanings and intentions clearly understood by the audiences.

In addition, Western fashion designers may not have clearly understood the artefacts they found therefore they ‘…took these distorted images as their inspiration and went on to create a western aesthetic with new layers of meaning that was unique.’ (Havis, 2015) For example, within the exhibition, garments such as the 1951 ‘Quiproquo’ (“an understanding of something that is not correct”) cocktail dress by Christian Dior (Figure 2), clearly demonstrated how personal perception is depicted through design. The beautiful cocktail dress is designed using ‘calligraphic pattern of which is based on 19^th-century rubbing from a 10^th-century stele inscription describing a sudden illness, an abdominal pain.’ (Mair, 2015) The rubbing (Figure 3) itself is infamously called the ‘Bellyache letter’ written by Zhang Xu a master of cursive during the Chinese Tang dynasty. However, as implied by Martin and Koda (1996), Christian Dior used the aesthetic and visual connotations of the Chinese calligraphy and used it to style a garment, giving it a rather superficial meaning and purely using the calligraphy for decorative purposes. In addition, this way Dior created a new meaning by presenting the calligraphy as mere ornamental design and diminishing the actual meaning and message of the script which if known would deem the dress design ignorant of Chinese culture.

Stereotypes

Portraying East Asian culture in this way, has cultivated and normalised this ‘exotic’ and ‘fantasy-like’ depiction of East Asia making it a stereotypical representation of the culture. Especially as it is within the field of High Fashion, the portrayal and usage of stereotypes has been connoted to being alluring and unique as High Fashion connotes high prestige, elegance and exclusivity; therefore the garments and designs created connote these meanings as well. However, it is also important to note that artists, designers and advertisers need to clearly state the intention of their designs, as well as place their designs in the appropriate context in order to effectively promote them and avoid misunderstandings within the mass media. As, it is through mass media that people will share a common perception of a group of people, culture and society– stereotyping them.

For example, for Chanel’s ‘Gabrielle’ bag collection, their editorial spread (Figure 4) garnered mixed reactions as the spread could be seen ‘perpetuating racist stereotypes’ of Chinese culture. The model is seen wearing ‘…a Chanel-branded conical hat, an item traditionally worn by Asian day laborers’ (Abarbanel, 2017), in Chinatown. Lim (2017, quoted in Abarbanel, 2017) said “these images reinforces several stereotypes that Asian immigrants/communities work so hard to break from…) it mocks the actual everyday struggle of immigrants…” Chanel’s use of the conical hat creates a perception of ‘novelty’ and presents it as a novelty item, giving it a completely new meaning by putting their brand on the item. They are diminishing the importance and traditions behind the hat and only using it for visual purposes to reinforce the ‘Chinese aesthetic’ they are trying to depict. It also reinforces another stereotype of bootleg designer goods associated with the Chinese goods industry. As the model is photographed carrying seemingly ‘counterfeit’ Chanel bags along Chinatown, it seems as if she is ‘selling’ these ‘hot’ goods. This is also highlighted by the caption of the editorial spread, “Coco Served Hot” (Figure 5). This highlights the importance of using the right context when advertising, as Barthes (1977, cited in Hall 1997, p. 228) said “…frequently, it is the caption which selects one out of the many possible meanings from the image, and anchors it with words.’ Although, audiences will have a subjective view on the design, ultimately the reinforcement of the written language directs the audience to a ‘fixed’ meaning of what is being advertised.

In addition to this, it is also important to understand that ‘Asian’ stereotypes are also very monolithic, which again, goes back to the principles and ideals of Orientalism. However, by making a feature of one minority or culture stand out, stereotypes are amplified according to the needs and ideals of the ‘superior’. This generalisation of the word ‘Asian’ to one specific region further emphasises the monolithic understanding of the East in Western society. It also, as said by Khoo (2007) “…comes to signify ‘pan-Asianess’ through the collapsing logic of visuality that structures exoticism within popular culture’. Hence the cliché representation of ‘Asians’/ Chinese in the Chanel editorial spread.

Cultural Appropriation

Similarly, another problem that goes hand in hand with stereotyping is cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the usage and amplification of an image or stereotype of a certain culture or ethnicity by a dominant power, in order to create profit and make the stereotype into a commodity. It can also be seen as the  ‘appropriation of identity’ and ‘…taking something from a less-dominant culture in a way its members find undesirable and offensive…’ (Chesterton, 2019). Using other’s culture in any context should be carefully considered and it should be part of an informed research and decision in order to depict a truthful and respectful representation of the culture. However, in the context of High Fashion it’s important to realise that most designer houses are Western. They are also notorious for exclusivity and mostly targeting the top 1% of the economic population; as well as perceived to be the top of their field. Cultural appropriation is especially complicated in High Fashion as their name and image hold such high prestige that the garments and products they create also hold that image.

For example, Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘Dreams of the Orient’ exhibition (Figure 6) which showcased the designers ‘Asian inspired’ couture garments from the 80’s onwards, highlights culture appropriation in some way. As the name suggested, Saint Laurent has never been to most Asian countries that inspired his garments, apart from Japan. He said, ‘I have been to every country in my dreams.’ (Saint Laurent quoted in Laguette, 2018) This showcases the way in which research, inspiration and representation of a culture is being conducted, as it seems Saint Laurent has decided to take what he learnt from books and films as the real representation of East Asia. It’s very much centred in his own Western point of view and what he thinks is correct. In addition, it’s also seen in pieces in the exhibition, such as Saint Laurent’s sketches for his ‘Opium’ collection (Figure 7) that his ‘inspiration’ could be otherwise seen as appropriation. The repeated ‘coolie’ hat motif  as well as Japanese inspired patterns, garments and colours indicated Japanese aesthetics and culture which is used to promote the product. This can be seen on the fragrances’ packaging (Figure 8) as well; with the use of red and gold foiled leaves and the perfume bottle referring to Japanese ‘inro’ (a small case for containing small objects traditionally worn around the waist).

Further focusing on Saint Laurent’s Opium fragrance, the line also received a lot of controversies as the fragrance was deemed to condone drugs as well as the designers ‘…insensitivity to Chinese history and Chinese American concerns.’ (The Fashion Law, 2018) as he also took reference from Imperial China. Saint Laurent also gained profit and success through the controversy of the fragrance and further used the ‘Oriental’ aesthetic for the fragrances’ launch party, using a Buddha statue, orchid decorations and lavish gold, red and purple drape banners to complete the aesthetic that he used throughout the creation and presentation of the product. Although, it can be argued that Saint Laurent carefully curated designs and motifs of Asian culture, it is clear that he is using it to elevate the aesthetic elements of his designs in order give them more style, relevancy, and attention. In addition, although he knows ‘...the difference between a Han and Manchu garment’, ultimately it is how he implemented and used these references which made it seem to be culturally appropriating East Asian culture. Most importantly, Yves Saint Laurent is still a prominent designer label to this day, and ‘Opium’ still holds an iconic legacy in High Fashion regardless of its controversies, therefore it’s important to realise that standards and creative endeavours set by Saint Laurent in the 80’s is still relevant today and has inputted to the fascination and fetishization of East Asian culture and aesthetics today.

Globalisation

Nevertheless, as briefly pointed out at the start of this essay, through globalisation and an increasingly smaller ‘global village’, today’s society consume East Asian products and culture that are actually produced in the East, ‘…based on specificity and authentic ownership rather than generality and stereotype’ (Lees-Maffei and Maffeim, 2019). Because of globalisation, consumers can access other cultures and traditions and they are the once that decide the context and content of cultural information they are consuming rather than brands giving them a certain perception. In addition, consumers are also becoming more culturally aware and are able to call out brands for stereotyping, cultural appropriating etc. Furthermore, today’s brands and designers ‘…have largely steered clear to “exoticising” of Asian cultures’, (Lau, 2018) especially as East Asian countries and cultures no longer seem far-fetched or fantasy-esque as well as the fact that East Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea, are countries who are now economically rich, and now hail native designers who are establishing themselves and their heritage in the fashion industry.

Through, globalisation, designers have also learnt Westernised Haute Couture techniques which they implemented into their practice whilst interconnecting it to their own ethos and principle as Fashion Designers.

For example, Filipino menswear Fashion Designer Carl Jan Cruz who studied in London College of Fashion used his Western education in order to globalise his brand image and brand strategy. Jan Cruz learnt professional techniques and  universal design thinking, which he utilised and brought back with him when he started his namesake company in the Philippines. As mentioned during his interview for Make it Last (2019) magazine he runs his label ‘…by thinking globally and acting locally.’ Jan Cruz utilises Filipino traditional visual motifs, prided before the Spanish colonisation in his designs. For example, for his garment named the “Khuda” dress (Figure 9), Jan Cruz incorporated stitching techniques used for rags that are traditionally sold on the streets in the Philippines. He inferred to the typical circle shapes that the rags (Figure 10) usually come as in the style of the dress as well as the line patterns that they also come with. Jan Cruz’s designs does not only appeal to the modern Filipino sentiment but also reflects the globalised outlook on modern High Fashion giving it a global edge but without disregarding the traditions and culture that the garments come from. Moreover, Jan Cruz also creates a nostalgic and a traditional atmosphere to his shoots, focussing on the essence of the garments. He chooses soft colour palettes and a simple beige backdrop which further gives focus on the garment itself. He creates a traditional almost ‘historical’ sentiment in which his Filipino consumers can relate to, but at the same time also conveys a contemporary aesthetic that appeals to a Western audience. His designs does not directly plaster the Filipino ‘culture’ or aesthetic on his garments, but rather he integrates subtle techniques and traditional traits that still conveys the quintessential Filipino culture to his audiences. At the same time, he effectively showcases them through the intricacy and professionalism that he learn which results in his brand to successfully highlight and appreciate the Filipino culture that is integrated in his designs globally.  

Shift in Social Paradigm

Along with globalisation, there is also the rise of social media which changed the social, beauty and cultural paradigm. Kent’s (2019) recent article on inclusivity in the fashion industry has shed light on the rise of consumer’s knowledge on culture appropriation and stereotyping. As Kent said, ‘Social media has changed the way consumers and brands interact from a monologue to a dialogue.’ As hundreds and thousands of people can now access High Fashion brands’ social media accounts such as Instagram and websites, there is space for debate and interaction between consumers and the brand. It also allows consumers to voice their opinions about certain issues within brands such as ‘cultural appropriation’, which with social media’s culture of ‘virality’ will make it hard for High Fashion brands to ignore. Similarly, Harriot (2018) also mentioned how consumers now have more say to what they consume as “…everyone is really questioning the choices that they make and there is this move towards more consciousness as consumers.’ Especially as fashion is such a big part in everyone’s identity, consumers are now using their knowledge and tools in order to ‘call-out’ brands that they use and associate with, when those brands are defying their ethos or principles. Furthermore, this leads for fashion brands to be more open and transparent– as highlighted before when fashion brands are becoming more socially and culturally conscious. Fashion brands now feel the need “…to operate more inclusively…[a] reflection of broader social, political and technological shifts…” (Kent, 2019). However, High Fashion brands now are still caught in culturally sensitive issues, such as brands like Dolce & Gabbana, but are exposed by influential social media bodies who rally up against issues such as cultural appropriation, plagiarism, design rip-off etc. 

In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana released an advertising campaign for their Shanghai show “The Great Show”, showing a video of a Chinese model trying to eat pizza, spaghetti and cannoli with a chopstick (Figure 11 & 12) . It is topped with Chinese folk music, seems to be set in a Chinese restaurant and a Mandarin voice over with ‘Dolce & Gabbana’ pronounced in a purposely mocking way. Social media and fashion Instagram account ‘Diet_Prada’ (Figure 13) called out Dolce & Gabbana by posting the advertising and critising it’s insensitive use of culture and highlighting an old stereotypical view on China. The account captioned the post with, “It attempts to target China but instead mocks them with a parodied vision of what modern China is not…a gag for amusement’ Diet_Prada (, 2018, quoted in Ritschel, 2018). The account utilises Instagram as its platform for spreading awareness on controversies in the High Fashion industry to a global audience. Through their large and influential following, they are able to somewhat influence their audiences thoughts and give them a platform to discuss and learn about issues through each other, as well as access more information through the platform. It’ll also allow for the issue to circulate faster, catching the attention of the brand that is being criticised, as Dolce & Gabbana took down the advertising from their accounts after 24 of its release and uproar. This shows the clear power of social media and its influence on consumers as well as the image of a brand when they are being criticised for outdated stereotypes or insensitive cultural appropriation of East Asian culture as most of their customers have culturally adapted and taught themselves through cross cultural discussions on social media and in the Internet in general.

Owning Heritage

Apart, from consumers educating themselves of different cultures across the globe. There are now lots of emerging East Asian fashion Designers who are working for major Haute Couture houses or have emerged on their own, as mentioned before from the rise in economy and globalisation. They are also able to use their own personal experiences in order to accurately and proudly represent their culture and ethnicity. An example of a designer who have proudly represented East Asians and addressed issues of stereotyping and ‘monolithic East Asian’ views of the west is Fashion Designer, Claudia Li. Li is a Chinese-born designer who grew up in New Zealand. Growing up as an ethnic minority in a predominantly Western country (New Zealand), Li used her own childhood experiences in the country as inspiration for her collection for her SS19 New York Fashion Week Show. This became the catalyst for Li to decide to ‘…cast girls like me; faces like mine that reflect how I grew up.’ (Figure 14) Li (2018, cited in Campbell, 2018). Highlighting that, there is still a stigma for Asian women to look a certain way in order to walk the runway, and that by only picking Asian models for her show, Li is fighting against the deep and old idea of Asians and Orientalism. She said, ‘Asians aren’t just one nationality…Within the community of Asian women, we are diverse. It’s time to break free from the singular definition of Asian beauty.’ Li (2018 cited in Coscarelli, 2018). Li as an Asian woman, is spreading awareness by using her heritage and field as a way to educate her audiences about breaking the ideas of ‘pan-Asianess’ (as said by Khoo, 2007) previously, along with presenting her designs in a way that holistically showcases her personality and culture as a designer.

Similarly, another designer is also very active and vocal about spreading his culture and work as an Asian designer. Prabal Gurung, a Nepalese Fashion Designer, was initially inspired by Li for his ‘Stronger in Colour’ Advertising campaign (Figure 15 & 16). In the campaign, Gurung employed a predominantly Asian staff and diverse pan-Asian models. Through the campaign, Gurung wanted to implement a similar approach to Li by hiring Asian models and staff in order to highlight that there is in fact more than one ‘face’ to East Asia. Also, evident in Gurung’s campaign was the fact that Western designers or ‘…those with ‘a seat at the table’, so to speak – don’t understand the nuances if race, or are totally apathetic, because it isn’t a part of their personal experience,’ Gurung (2018, quoted in Yam 2018) and he is implying that it is only right for people with Asian heritage and background could accurately represent the culture as it is their own. In the same way that Li uses her personal experiences, Gurung also does the same. He is able to create designs which are authentic to his own heritage and culture in order to advocate his cause (lack of diversity of Asians in High Fashion). Likewise, this is also reflected in the designs of the garments that he created.

For example, he used his own family and the single-parent household the he grew up in and ‘…the women of the eastern world’, inspiration for some of his garments. He also took inspiration from the ‘Gulabi Gang’ or ‘Pink Gang’ from India (Figure 17) – a group of women fighting for their rights and violence against women in India. These women don bright pink saris and use sticks for protection; and a matrilineal ethnic group in China (Mosuo) (Figure 18). Gurung referenced the ethnic groups’ ‘vibrant purples, red and  blues’ (Associated Press, 2018) colours and patterns which they use on their clothing. He added through the colours, extravagant patterns and materials which were hand made in the respective countries, as well as subtle draping references, he hoped to highlight ‘…the strength, grace and resilience’ (Associated Press, 2018) of the Asian women he is celebrating. This does not only celebrate the women, but it also appreciates the culture which they own. Rather than creating designs in order to create an ‘aesthetic’ purposes, Gurung made designs which appreciated the culture in which the ‘aesthetic’ comes from and using it in order to empower and represent the culture in a respectful way. Through embracing and showcasing his culture through his appreciative designs, Gurung not only shows it’ authenticity but also highlights that in this modern era Asian culture is diverse, unique and different in its own ways. Prabal Gurung’s implementation of references in his designs can be seen as ‘cultural appreciation’ and a celebration of diversity and culture. Mentioned by Stuart Hall (1997) on his book on representation, he highlights ways in which stereotyping and appropriation can be countered. The ‘substituting of ‘negative images’ with ‘positive images’, (Hall, 272) admits to the fact that negative representations can never be erased, therefore saturating the media with ‘positive images’ may therefore solve or make people aware of the issue. Though it is a soft approach to countering stereotypes and appropriation, it holds great importance as designers who are part of the certain culture and ethnicity are the ones spreading the issue therefore in some way it is effective as they are also able to reference themselves in the process, assuring authenticity in their work and designs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it seems that the deeply rooted stereotypical Western perspective of ‘East Asia’ will never be diminished in popular culture and in High Fashion. As long as it is relevant and frequent in the media it will be continuously reinterpreted and re-appropriated. Furthermore, at the end of the day, it is about personal perception and how consumers and the target audience reads and interprets the messages and information they are being presented; designers can clearly state their intentions but it is up to the audience how they understand it.

Although, it can’t be completely diminished, it can be lessened. Through globalisation, consumers are more likely to consume ‘East Asian’ products and culture nuances from East Asia, making them more culturally aware and have more influence in giving their opinions about High Fashion brands that represent culture in certain ways, which can have an impact to the brands image and brand strategy in order to appeal to their target audiences. Furthermore, Western designers should be more inclusive in a way that not only ‘tokenises’ East Asian culture and beauty but to also represent it respectfully and accurately, through hiring models/ staff from the culture that they borrowing from, creating real conversations resulting in more culturally informed designs. Finally, Asian designers themselves can also bring awareness and pride to their own culture, using their personal experiences in order to relate to fellow Asian consumers as well as educate consumers who are foreign to the culture. They represent an authentic and raw perspective of their culture which translates a positive image among the stereotypes and appropriation that’s saturating the media. In turn, they are also appreciative of other Asian cultures and they therefore feel responsible to highlight these cultures in order to showcase the real diversity of Asian cultures and traditions in order to slowly change the social and cultural paradigm in modern society today and in the future.

Thoughts & Reflections:

This is my first essay draft that I've written based on my essay structure that I talked and ran through with Amber in my second tutorial with her. For my third tutorial with her, hopefully I can refine bits that I need to work more on or add as I only have 4750 words.