The South Asian World: In Haute Couture

Welcome to The South Asian World, a series where we explore how global fashion, art, film, and culture have more of a South Asian influence than is often acknowledged. For our fashion segment, let’s right the wrongs of history one collection at a time 1982: Yves Saint Laurent Spring-Summer

For this collection, YSL had some “India-inspired” pieces. Homage or Orientalist appropriation, you decide. In 1986 Yves Saint Laurent boasted about never really visiting India or learning South Asian culture and dress for this collection, but rather “using his imagination“ to “conjure up countries” he didn’t know. Maybe that explains the cheetah print Prince-coded (by which I mean the artist formerly known as) outfit with the turban being passed off as “Indian” - how perfectly “other”! 

Pieces From The Runway Courtesy https://museeyslparis.com/en/biography/collection-inde

2012-13: Chanel Pre Autum/Winter

Here’s another collection that thinks it can do South Asian fashion better than actual South Asians. In talking about his Chanel collection, Karl Lagerfeld just repurposed centuries-old colonial discourse: “It's all about refinement. It's the Paris version of the idea of India," If this isn’t the exact definition of Orientalism then call me illiterate! What a lovely reminder that no matter what, White People always do South Asian culture better. It is always available for them to repurpose in whatever fashion they seem best without context because how much does 5000 years of history really matter anyway! 

Pieces From The Runway Courtesy https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/chanel-bombay-show