IRAN FASHION SHOW?
July 25th, 2006, 11:54 am · 1 Comment · posted by Sam Mittelsteadt
Not an oxymoron — or as much of one as you might think, anyway. Designers in Tehran, Iran, had a fashion show on Saturday, and while some of the burqa designs have a distinctly traditional look about them — like the all-black number at left — it’s refreshing to see the variations that were offered and still fell within acceptable boundaries.
For example, this one has a whole "Sound of Music"/Carmelite-nun vibe going on — sure, it’s mitigated by the barefoot, wrapped feet, and in reality more of the woman’s face would be covered up, but still. It looks more like a jumper/turtleneck combo.
And this one has a Middle European peasant feel to it, with its detailing and trim. So stock your sniggering: At least they’re trying to bring some fashion to mandatory garb.
(Although I bet the woman who wore the last design would get her feet chopped off for wearing something sheer-ish that shows her ankles so provocatively.)
July 26th, 2006 at 7:13 am
There was a fashion show in Kabul, Afghanistan about two weeks ago. I haven’t found any pics of the event yet. It was a big news item, since there hasn’t been a fashion show in Afghanistan since 1999. It only featured two designers, one Italian and her Afghani partner. They used expatriate models so they wouldn’t offend any Muslims, but a lot of attendees were upset that there weren’t any Afghani models. The two designers are teaching Afghani women how to design clothing and jewelry, and the stuff is being sold locally. I think it’s a very encouraging sign.