Podcast Summary
Indigenous fashion beyond glamour and trends: Indigenous fashionology goes beyond fashion trends, focusing on people and cultural resurgence
Indigenous fashionology goes beyond the glamour and trends of mainstream fashion. It's about the people native to the land making things as a tool for economic and cultural resurgence. Riley Kucharin, an indigenous fashionologist, shares his insights on the subject, from runway gossip to history, cultural appropriation, and more. He's an assistant professor of design leadership at Toronto's Ryerson University and a PhD candidate, using his research to promote indigenous fashion's importance. Riley, who grew up admiring fashion magazines as an escape, initially wanted to be a fashion designer but couldn't sew. Instead, he pursued journalism and now uses his platform to study and share the stories behind indigenous fashion. The takeaway is that fashionology, the sociology of fashion, is more than just fashion trends. It's about the people behind the clothes and the stories they tell.
Discovering a passion for critiquing the fashion industry: The speaker's journey from recognizing the potential to challenge the fashion system to becoming a fashion studies scholar, highlighting the importance of questioning societal trends and their impact on the environment.
The speaker discovered a passion for critiquing the fashion industry and dismantling harmful practices after realizing she could make a career out of it. Fashion emerged from medieval courts and European trade, initially serving the rich aristocracy, but became more accessible to the masses in the post-World War 2 era with advancements in technology and societal trends. The speaker's journey involved recognizing the potential to challenge the fashion system and make a difference, leading her to a career as a fashion studies scholar. The rapid pace of fashion trends and consumer culture often results in discarding perfectly good clothes for the newest styles, which the speaker finds noteworthy.
Fast Fashion's Impact on the Environment and Labor Practices: Build a wardrobe of timeless, sustainably-made staples. Adopt a personal uniform or invest in high-quality, long-lasting clothing items to simplify your life, support ethical labor practices, and reduce textile waste.
The fast fashion industry's relentless pursuit of novelty and quick production cycles leads to excessive textile waste, homogenization of styles, and questionable labor practices. To reduce our impact on the fashion industry and promote sustainability, consider building a wardrobe of timeless, sustainably-made staples. Adopting a personal uniform or investing in high-quality, long-lasting clothing items can help simplify your life and wardrobe, while also supporting ethical labor practices and reducing overall textile waste. Additionally, being mindful of the origin and production methods of your clothing can contribute to a more sustainable and ethical fashion consumption.
The Power of Clothing in Indigenous Cultures: Clothing holds cultural significance and shapes identity, but historical colonization led to the loss and preservation of traditional practices. Contemporary fashion draws inspiration from these traditions, and it's crucial to remember the complexity and diversity within Indigenous communities.
Clothing holds significant power in shaping our identity and confidence. It can be seen as an extension of our bodies. However, the history of clothing in indigenous cultures has been marked by the forced imposition of Western styles during colonization. This led to the stripping away of traditional clothing practices and the destruction of indigenous garments. Despite this, indigenous people have managed to preserve their clothing traditions and even use them as inspiration for contemporary fashion. Indigenous clothing was historically fabricated using materials sourced from the land and was situational to local groups. Unfortunately, much of the recorded history of Indigenous design comes from an anthropological perspective, which may be biased and incomplete. It's important to remember that Indigenous people are not experts on every aspect of their own history and culture, and that there is a rich diversity within Indigenous communities.
Understanding Indigenous Clothing History: Engage with indigenous communities to gain a deeper understanding of their clothing practices, challenge harmful stereotypes, and promote accurate representation and education of indigenous histories.
The study and understanding of indigenous fashion and clothing history is complex and nuanced, with much of the existing records being limited and often offensive. Indigenous clothing is not static but has always been changing, and it is essential to engage with indigenous communities to gain a deeper understanding of the rich history and context behind their clothing practices. The lack of representation and education of indigenous histories in our curriculums and societal narratives has perpetuated the notion of indigenous peoples as a people of the past, which is harmful and inaccurate. Fashion played a significant role in the colonization process by perpetuating stereotypes and justifying the taking of indigenous lands. To unpack the role of clothing in this process, it is crucial to engage with indigenous communities, challenge harmful stereotypes, and promote accurate representation and education of indigenous histories.
Portrayal of Indigenous Cultures in Media: Historically inaccurate and harmful, indigenous voices are now rising in film. However, laws like the Migratory Bird Act criminalize indigenous practices, causing ongoing harm.
The portrayal of indigenous cultures in media has historically been inaccurate and harmful. However, there is a resurgence of indigenous voices in film, with documentaries like "Angry Inuk" addressing important issues and preserving traditions. Unfortunately, laws like the Migratory Bird Act have been used to criminalize indigenous peoples for practicing their spiritual traditions, such as using feathers in clothing. This history of forced assimilation and destruction of sacred practices continues to cause harm today. It's crucial to recognize and acknowledge these issues to promote understanding and respect for indigenous cultures.
Indigenous People's Regalia and Rodeos: Indigenous fashion is evolving towards sustainable, land-based practices, empowering communities and preserving culture.
The history of indigenous people's ability to publicly wear their own regalia is intertwined with the rise of rodeos in North America. Indigenous peoples were co-opted to play stereotypical roles in rodeo pageants, leading to the reversal of laws restricting their clothing practices. However, despite progress, there are still restrictions on indigenous students wearing traditional regalia in graduation ceremonies and in everyday life. The contemporary indigenous fashion scene is shifting towards land-based practices and community involvement, with designers like Tanya Larsen leading the way in sustainable, labor-intensive processes that preserve and share indigenous culture. These practices not only support the designer but also the wider community, including hunters, tanners, and beadwork artists. By focusing on land-based practices, indigenous fashion is not only preserving culture but also pushing it forward, offering a sustainable and culturally rich alternative to mainstream fashion.
Indigenous fashion: A voice and a form of expression: Indigenous fashion challenges consumerism, raises awareness, bridges gaps, and honors all relations through sustainable, community-based practices.
Indigenous fashion, with its community-based and sustainable practices, offers a profound contrast to the consumerist nature of mainstream fashion. Indigenous artists' use of intricate crafts like beadwork to express contemporary issues and raise awareness about the interconnectedness of all living beings highlights the potential for fashion to go beyond being a commodity and become a voice and a form of expression. The intimately engaged process of working with artisans and understanding the origins of materials can bring us closer to the people behind the clothes, bridging the gap between producer and consumer. Indigenous fashion's political and cultural significance underscores the importance of honoring all our relations and recognizing the impact of our choices on the environment and communities.
Supporting indigenous fashion ethically: Understand cultural appropriation, follow the money, build relationships, research authentic designers, attend festivals, and buy from their online stores.
Supporting indigenous fashion in a culturally appropriate manner involves understanding the concept of cultural appropriation and its spectrum. It's important to follow the money and build relationships with indigenous people and their communities. Non-indigenous people can research and find authentic indigenous designers and support them by attending festivals or buying from their online stores. These events and designers have been vetted by the community and ensure that the proceeds go directly to indigenous artists. By taking these steps, non-indigenous people can make ethical and informed choices that truly support and appreciate indigenous culture.
Supporting Indigenous Artists: Doing Your Research and Building Relationships: When purchasing indigenous cultural products, buy from actual artists, educate others, and respect the significance of the work.
When it comes to purchasing indigenous cultural products, it's important to do your research, build relationships, and be prepared to invest in the time and craftsmanship that goes into these items. The conversation around cultural appropriation and indigenous products has been a topic of debate for years, with instances of misappropriation making headlines and causing controversy. However, it's crucial to differentiate between purchasing from an actual indigenous artist and honoring their work versus finding something at a mainstream store. When you buy from an indigenous artist, it becomes your responsibility to educate others about the authenticity and significance of the product. The Indigenous Fashion Week of Toronto, for example, prioritizes education and showcases the beauty and diversity of indigenous cultures. By supporting indigenous artists and taking the time to learn about their work, we can help shift perceptions and honor the rich history and traditions behind these items.
Indigenous Fashion: Beyond Aesthetics, It's About Community and Tradition: Indigenous Fashion goes beyond aesthetics, it's about community involvement, utilizing collective models, preserving cultural heritage through colors, and serving as an economic driver.
Indigenous Fashion is more than just about creating beautiful clothing or being seen in the fashion industry. It's about community, tradition, and supporting each other. Indigenous designers are encouraged to involve their communities and utilize collective or cooperative models to make their fashion businesses thrive. Colors in Indigenous clothing hold deeper meanings and stories that transmit values, morals, and ethics. The Indigenous Fashion movement is growing, and young designers should reach out and connect with others in the community. Despite the challenges, Indigenous fashion can serve as an economic driver for communities. The use of colors in Indigenous clothing is not just for aesthetics but also carries stories and lessons that preserve cultural heritage.
The emotional connection to indigenous products: Support indigenous artists, use sustainable materials, respect boundaries, embrace land-based education, and remember the value of indigenous-made goods.
The emotional response non-natives have when seeing or wearing indigenous products is rooted in history and ancestral memory. This reaction, while complex, is not a sign of appropriation but rather a deep connection to the past. It's essential to support indigenous artists economically, but also encourage the use of sustainable materials and respect the boundaries of sacred items that should not be commodified. Land-based education plays a crucial role in cultural resurgence, and it's vital to be mindful of the origins and impact of the items we buy or use. Additionally, it's important to remember that the price of indigenous-made goods reflects the value and materials used, and moving towards more sustainable practices aligns with indigenous cultural values.
Land-based education shapes indigenous fashion and decolonization: Land-based education transforms perspectives and models decolonized futures in indigenous fashion. Pre-colonization, indigenous cultures had fluid gender binaries, and clothing reflected this diversity. Decolonization efforts recognize and respect this rich history.
Land-based education plays a crucial role in indigenous fashion and decolonization. The experience of living off the land through traditional practices not only changes one's perspective on the amount of work involved but also models a decolonized future. Land-based fashionology education, such as the one in Dechinta, provides hands-on experiences that are life-changing for indigenous youth. Before colonization, gender binaries in indigenous cultures were not as rigid, and clothing reflected this diversity. However, the outlawing of 2 spirit gender diversity, which was identified through clothing, led to more strict gender binaries. It's essential to recognize and respect the rich history and diversity of indigenous fashion and decolonization efforts. A notable misconception to erase is the belief that indigenous fashion does not exist.
Challenging the Myth of Mainstream Fashion: Encourage diverse fashion systems, challenge elitism, and support indigenous designers to create their own systems, opportunities, and education in the fashion industry.
Fashion is not limited to Europe or elite communities, but rather exists in various forms in all communities. It's important to challenge the myth that only mainstream fashion design is valid and encourage young designers to start their own companies and work with their own communities. Racism is a significant issue within the fashion industry, and it's crucial for indigenous designers to consider creating their own systems rather than playing into the mainstream industry's hierarchical and damaging system. The fashion industry is vast and complex, with various facets beyond just trends and design. For those interested in fashion, there are opportunities in entrepreneurship, social economies, and sustainability. The fashion industry can be exclusive and damaging, but there are signs of change, and it's essential to incorporate diverse fashion systems, including indigenous fashion, into education.
Indigenous Fashion Scholar Riley Scott on Inclusivity and Decolonization in Fashion: Riley Scott, an Indigenous fashion scholar, advocates for inclusivity and decolonization in fashion through community-focused education, representation, and the promotion of Indigenous fashion scholars. She can be found on Instagram and Twitter @rscutcherin, and resources can be found at alieward.com/ology/indigenousfashionology.
The fashion industry is undergoing a significant shift towards inclusivity and decolonization, with the emergence of Black and Indigenous Fashion Weeks, and a growing awareness of the need to challenge and dismantle colonial systems within fashion. Riley Scott, an Indigenous fashion scholar, is inspired by the youth who are leading this change and envisions a future where education is community-focused and centered around learning from elders. She also emphasizes the importance of representation and the need for more Indigenous fashion scholars to study and promote this field. Riley can be found on Instagram and Twitter @rscutcherin, and for more resources on Indigenous art, markets, and education, check out the links at alieward.com/ology/indigenousfashionology.
Collaborative Effort of Dedicated Individuals: The Ology Podcast is a product of teamwork and dedication, with volunteers, editors, and musicians working together to bring informative and entertaining content to listeners.
The production of the Ology Podcast is a collaborative effort of many dedicated individuals. Emily White and Ologite volunteers provide free transcripts, Caleb Patton bleeped episodes for kid-friendliness, Noelle Dilworth handles scheduling, Jarrett Sleeper does professional assistant editing, Stephen Ray Morris leads editing and hosting, and Nick Thorburn writes and performs the theme music. The team's dedication allows listeners to enjoy the podcast and learn new facts about various topics. Additionally, the speaker shared a relatable experience about the first use of a heater in the winter, signifying the start of the season and the team's commitment to bringing new content.
