Tie-Dye Fashion
When you consider the 60's, you associate images of neon colours and peace loving hippies sporting items such a tie-dye shirts. Contrary to popular belief, however, the art of tie-dye dates back much further than American hippies and actually links back to an old, traditional Peruvian method of dye-making (Virginia, 2018). The art of tie-dye, like many fashion trends, came and went as quickly as the next. An affordable and trendy way to jazz up your clothes trough simple twisting and folding of clothes before dipping it into dye. (Jennings, 2004).
This technique can also be found in old Japanese and Indonesian fashion, as well as African clothing, however it is widely known as a western invention. This can be considered a prime example of western erasure of eastern culture through 'borrowing' ideas with the intention of being harmless, but effectively denying its pre-existence in the eastern world. With the fleeting nature of trends, this erasure of culture becomes even more apparent due to the lack of knowledge when jumping on the bandwagon. Does this mean that the west has a responsibly to acknowledge where their fashion comes from? Or is ignorance just bliss?
Jennings, J. (2004) Tie-Dye Through the Ages [Online] Available at: http://www.tie-dye.us/tie-dye-history.htm (Accessed on 15th January, 2019)
Virginia, H. (2018) Dying for Tie-Dye [Online] Available at: https://www.librarypoint.org/blogs/post/tie-dye/ (Accessed on 15th January, 2019)
This technique can also be found in old Japanese and Indonesian fashion, as well as African clothing, however it is widely known as a western invention. This can be considered a prime example of western erasure of eastern culture through 'borrowing' ideas with the intention of being harmless, but effectively denying its pre-existence in the eastern world. With the fleeting nature of trends, this erasure of culture becomes even more apparent due to the lack of knowledge when jumping on the bandwagon. Does this mean that the west has a responsibly to acknowledge where their fashion comes from? Or is ignorance just bliss?
Jennings, J. (2004) Tie-Dye Through the Ages [Online] Available at: http://www.tie-dye.us/tie-dye-history.htm (Accessed on 15th January, 2019)
Virginia, H. (2018) Dying for Tie-Dye [Online] Available at: https://www.librarypoint.org/blogs/post/tie-dye/ (Accessed on 15th January, 2019)