 | | Rihanna at a Super Bowl news conference in Phoenix this month. Brendan McDermid/Reuters |
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Hello, Open Thread. Happy New York Fashion Week. Yup, it's here. |
Officially, it starts today, but thanks to that phenomenon known as fashion creep, in which designers decide to jump the line for no reason that is apparent to anyone other than themselves, a handful of shows have already taken place. |
Christian Siriano, for example, whose roses 'n' ruffles extravaganza featured Lindsay Lohan's younger siblings as models (Ms. Lohan, the elder, cheering them on from the audience). Theory, which is being reinvented as Audrey Hepburn-meets-office essentials under Jeffrey Kalinsky. And Alexander Wang, whose attempted comeback after allegations of sexual misconduct continues apace. |
There was a kickoff party last night in honor of Thom Browne, the new chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which felt sort of like a high school reunion. Look: Donna Karan, popping out of a taxi cab! Hello, DVF! Anna Wintour called Mr. Browne fashion's "sentinel." She then told a story about being on an overnight flight to Milan with him, changing into airplane pajamas and then waking up every once in a while to see him sitting bolt upright, in his trademark gray suit, working. The point: He's pretty relentless in pursuit of his vision. |
(Also: Anna in airplane pajamas? That's an image.) |
Anyway, Mr. Browne's show is one thing to look forward to. There's more — here's a crib sheet — including a host of unofficial fashion events that take place around the shows and offer equally exciting style moments. |
The BAFTAs, for example, better known as the British Oscars, are scheduled smack in the middle of London Fashion Week. And, before that, the Super Bowl. Which may sound like a weird thing to highlight in a fashion week newsletter, but I have one name for you: Rihanna. |
She's got the music world all atwitter about her first live-stage appearance since 2018, but the fashion world is not far behind. |
After all, she never dresses halfway. Just consider her trendsetting pregnancy fashion and her recent Golden Globes appearance in Schiaparelli. She has already promoted her own line of Super Bowl merch and teased her appearance with a video featuring her in a black cat suit and gargantuan chartreuse fake-fur coat from Area, the NYFW brand known for its high-concept combinations of drama and kitsch. Whatever she wears is almost guaranteed to set some trends. |
To get ready for that and the rest of what is to come, spend some time considering the unexpected evolution of the NYFW stalwart Tory Burch, mull over fashion's ongoing issues with size-ism and take a deep dive into hip-hop's influence on fashion over the last 50 years. |
And have a good, safe weekend. |
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Your Style Questions, Answered |
Every week on Open Thread, Vanessa will answer a reader's fashion-related question, which you can send to her anytime via email or Twitter. Questions are edited and condensed. |
 | | Sarah Jessica Parker at the "China Through the Looking Glass" gala at the Met in 2015.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin, via FilmMagic |
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I lived in Bangkok for a few years and traveled the region extensively. I love Asian-inspired fashion, but I now feel self-conscious wearing some of my Asian pieces as I am not Asian and don't want to be disrespectful in any way. What do I do with my ao dai, Chinese jacket, Shanghai Tang items and more? — Mary, La Jolla, Calif. |
The question of cultural appropriation is a highly complicated, fraught issue with no simple answers. You may remember that a few years ago a white high school senior wore a cheongsam to her prom, and it set off a firestorm of criticism in the United States — though in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, many social media users saw it as a cultural victory. And remember when, in 2015, the Met Gala celebrated the exhibition "China Through the Looking Glass," and though some guests understood the theme, others got their traditions and countries mixed up in a pretty egregious way? |
There is a difference between wearing a garment as a homage and sign of cultural appreciation and wearing it as a costume or because you think it looks cute. And when it comes to Asian sartorial tradition, the stakes have only increased since the pandemic began, with its wave of despicable anti-Asian violence. |
This can be especially tricky when it comes to fashion, which has long loved to dabble in what used to be termed the "exotic," often without any regard for point of origin or meaning. See, for example, Gucci's use of turbans that evoked Sikh dress as a runway accessory in 2019, not to mention the continued widespread use of the generic and derogatory term "Oriental" in reference to style and prints. |
I asked Jodie Chan, a fashion professional and the producer of the short film "Invisible Seams," which tells the stories of New York's Asian garment workers, what she would advise. First, she said, intention and understanding matters, so educate yourself as to the meaning and history of a garment to ensure you are wearing it as it is meant to be worn. |
"While clothing is universal, some pieces can carry specific meaning and should be researched and treated as such," Ms. Chan said in an email. "If you want to wear a kimono/yukata or robe piece suggestive of a kimono, for example, it is very important to consider how you wear it — always the left side over the right side, as the other way is for the deceased in Japanese culture." |
Susie Lau, a fashion editor and influencer better known as Susie Bubble, said that context was also important, noting that if she saw a qipao dress worn as a sort of sexy waitress look with exaggerated cat-eye makeup, "that is immediately problematic." |
But, she added, "I believe culture should be shared, exchanged and disseminated with the most positive of intentions," and sometimes that is done through clothing. |
Finally, consider who made the piece, and thus who is benefiting. Is it an Asian designer or a Western name profiting from another country's culture? |
Even if you get all this right, you can't exactly walk around with a billboard on your head advertising your responsible decision-making. So if you are feeling uncomfortable about wearing a garment, love it though you may, I'd listen to your gut. It can be a pretty discerning fashion critic unto itself. |
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