Fashion & Culture- How Does Culture Influence Fashion?

Fashion and culture go hand in hand; every country’s fashion is influenced by its culture and cultural practices of the people residing in that nation. Be it India, Japan, China, or Korea, Asian countries being indigenous have a unique fashion style.

Further, we will explore how culture influences fashion in these Asian countries and the distinctive style or concepts they bring to the globe.

1- India: A country with diversity, the Indian designers who set the fashion trends in India encompasses various native crafts and techniques in their collections. The styles range from Indo western to traditional wear. The Indian designers fuse western silhouettes and concepts to Indian wear to present a rather innovative fashion. Example Indian Designer Monisha Jaisingh reinvented the native KURTA of India to KURTI by reducing its length and ornamented it with the age-old embroidery craft of India. This globally became popular as ‘Indian Embroidered Tunic’. 

- Indian Designers Shivan and Narresh also reinvented saris for destination weddings, globally popular now as the BIKINI SAREE, the designers amalgamated the bikini beachwear trend with the common and most worn Indian drape – Saree.

2- Japan: The Japanese are known for their practicality, their fashion is edgy, clean, and practical, and layered. The Japanese often follow the concept of One Mile Wear. This concept promotes sustainability practices of using a garment for a longer duration and many purposes, it reduces the need of buying different clothes for casual and everyday purposes. The one-mile wear truly is a reflection of fashion and culture in Japan. The concept urges to buy clothes that are smart and can be worn at home and also within a mile of the house. Example – A smart and easy fit pant/ trousers with an airy and casual top, this outfit can be worn at home and also to grocery stores, nearby markets, and school pick and drop. 

3- South Korea:  The Korean fashion trends became popular across the globe post the success of K Drama and K Beauty. The Koreans by culture would wear loose fitted lowers with blouses or tops. The fashion of oversized or loose fit continues as the Koreans would opt for loose fits as layers. The oversized coats and loose fit pants with poppy colors became very well-known across the globe with the widespread popularity of K entertainment.

Fashion across the world is influenced and inspired by different cultures and indigenous trends. Fashion and culture thus shape the trends for the people and keep some elements common year after year. Example- The trend of pin tugs, polka dots, layering, and much more.

I Knock Fashion Desk

The Asian countries although inspired by the western countries always put an element or signature of their own culture in the latest fashion collections. The globe is well connected now, thus the fashion across the globe would be influenced by each other in many ways. From fashion styles, silhouettes, techniques to drapes, fashion is making the world a smaller place giving everyone a reason to feel similar yet unique in their way.