Fashion, Migration, and Cultural Intersection Paper

A paper by me written on fashion, migration, and cultural intersection...

In the History of Immigration museum, a traditional Russian outfit worn by Olga Froleff displays a meeting point for different cultures. Embroidery is included on the outfit and can be traced back to the Cro-Magnon days, around 30,000 BC, and currently found on runways in 2017.  The garment represents fashion as transmission of culture through patterns, accessories, and apparel. Fashion serves as a crossroads for cultures, allowing a migrant to be able to express themselves in a direct manner in their new environment.  Fashion is often a symbol of wealth or economic merit. The intricate patterns and various colors used in the embroidery, as well as the lace displayed on Olga Froleff’s outfit was a testament to her class.

The  Mère de France garments, or otherwise known as Marianne de la Barricades, found in the murals at the History of Immigration museum is an example of cultural intersection. Her white robes are not only a fashion but is a symbol of what France believed they brought upon colonization: civilization amongst primitive areas of the world, wealth, and resources to the colonizing country. The white garment reflects superior race and class in contrast to the natives as well as a moral prerogative in the colonized world. This idea of white robes is a notion that can also be found in the contemporary world regarding the wealthy being those dressed in white due to the lack of manual labor and clean lifestyles.

As people migrate they bring their fashions with them. Fashion transmission can be found regionally and internationally, an example of this is the hijab . This traditional covering worn my Muslim women is not only a religious tradition but is a signal of one’s faith especially when migrating to another country. The hijab is an international signal of immigration due to the preconceived notions of the Middle East and Islam. In the History of Immigration Museum, a woman wearing a hijab was looking at the Russian garment worn by a migrant years ago. Just as native people view and interpret migrant’s styles, the woman in the hijab is viewing and interpreting the museums exhibits. This is a representation of cultural intersection. The women wearing the hijab was possibly a migrant of one time looking at an exhibit on a culture that is completely different than hers. Fashion lends itself to the opportunities of diversity which leads to cultural growth as a state, nation, and world.