Ethnic Influences on Apparel Design

Creating new and innovative lines of clothing is a very grueling and time consuming process. What colors to use, what styles to create, what trims to incorporate are just a few examples of what questions must be answered. There are many different factors that go into answering these questions. After all, it cannot be easy to create a completely new line of clothing without inspirations. In my personal opinion, ethnic influences play a very large role in the creation of different lines of clothing. Everything we wear and purchase in some way shape or form has been created with some sort of ethnic influence.

In this season of Project Runway, the designers went to Diane Von Furstenburg's company and they were able to pick fabrics out of her personal collection. In her collection of beautiful fabrics, there were tons of the ethnic inspired bright colored fabric. A lot of ethnic influences are most apparent in the fabrics. According to http://www.feministing.com/archives/010929.html, African inspired jungle prints are back. Kente cloth is a traditional fabric used to make clothing in Africa and has also had an influence on American apparel for many years.

Ethnic influences have always been a main part of apparel design. It can be seen in every runway show with examples such as head wraps to kimonos. Many of these ethnic influences can be seen in this years New York Fashion Week. According to Booth Moore a Times Fashion Critic in his article about New York Fashion Week, .."the American answer to the more streamlined looks coming out of Europe for fall." This is an example of European styles working their way into American Apparel. Ethnic Influences will always play a major role on Apparel Design because without them, Fashion would not be what it is today.

This picture is an example of ethnically influenced head wraps coming out of Diane Von Furstenburg's line...