Orientalism and Luxury

The Orient has been a source of inspiration for fashion designers since the seventeenth century, when the products of India, China, and Turkey were first widely seen in Western Europe. The term “Orientalism” has changed over time, around the 1900’s it referred to the misuse by western designers of exotic stylistic conventions from different cultures across the Asian continent. Not only did designers create garments with Orientalist influences, so did the modistes: outfits topped with jeweled ornaments were paired with neoclassic and exotic silhouettes. The modern couturiers’ adoption of the construction element in East Asia garments was another important innovation in the twentieth- century fashion.

The break through of Orient inspired trends in fashion also had different sources, such as Japanese kimonos made for the western market. Kimonos are a loose, wide-sleeved robe, fastened at the waist with a wide sash, characteristic of Japanese costume. The flowing Japanese kimono was a garment that began to be exported to the West after 1854. In addition to these wonderful costume shapes and luxurious decorative elements, couturiers incorporated vibrant colors into their work.