I have just about adjusted back to the cold weather at home and getting back to work. I've started to think about getting back to uni and how to develop and pull important imagery and information I learnt in Sri Lanka.
The belief and positive attitude Sri Lankan's have, is an attitude I have tried to adopt since being home. They were very encouraging of eachother and there faith brought them together. As a textile design for fashion student I was always looking out at what the women were wearing and the fashions I saw advertised. As we travelled across the island we went through Buddhist, Muslim and Christian towns. The fashions changed as the religions changed. Indian Brides wore beautiful bright coloured saris whereas Sri Lanka brides wore western dresses in neutral colours. Everyday dress was either very western or very traditional and home made. However in some areas where the community were Muslim the majority of women wore Burqas.
The belief and positive attitude Sri Lankan's have, is an attitude I have tried to adopt since being home. They were very encouraging of eachother and there faith brought them together. As a textile design for fashion student I was always looking out at what the women were wearing and the fashions I saw advertised. As we travelled across the island we went through Buddhist, Muslim and Christian towns. The fashions changed as the religions changed. Indian Brides wore beautiful bright coloured saris whereas Sri Lanka brides wore western dresses in neutral colours. Everyday dress was either very western or very traditional and home made. However in some areas where the community were Muslim the majority of women wore Burqas.
The Burqa is an extremely traditional piece of clothing that is highly respected in the Muslim faith. Initially I felt it would be a 'taboo' subject that I should avoid but after searching for Burqa's in fashion I found my own feelings towards the subject to increase my interest in provoking an emotion and look into this further for research that maybe others have avoided.
This is an image from designer Hussein Chalayan's 'Burka' show in 1996. This image challenges ideas such as modesty, identity and femininity, all of which I think the burqa covers.
Each image is shocking, whether it is because how we are used to seeing the Burqa has been turned on it's head by Hussain Chalayan showing that a face mask can do the same job as a burqa by challenging how one piece of clothing can hide a persons identity, or because a very symbolic traditional piece of clothing is being styled in western culture and photographed.
My initial feelings are that I am being disrespectful sharing the images, the burqa is a religious piece of clothing and therefore should be accepted as it is and without change. A naked woman stands close to a women dressed in a Burka, this is a scene that you will probably never see.But therefore should it not be treated as special and memorable rather than frowned upon. Hussain Chalayan is a Muslim, therefore the controversy caused by this image was that much greater.
My initial feelings are that I am being disrespectful sharing the images, the burqa is a religious piece of clothing and therefore should be accepted as it is and without change. A naked woman stands close to a women dressed in a Burka, this is a scene that you will probably never see.But therefore should it not be treated as special and memorable rather than frowned upon. Hussain Chalayan is a Muslim, therefore the controversy caused by this image was that much greater.
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