Orbler
Fashion
Leesa
Sisi
Jeska
Harry
Jana
Maddy 1
Tyronne
the-mothball-cardigan
Nella
yaviz
Miki
Brenton
Chic Critique
Cibbuano
LouieEthnic Traditional Fashion - Peru
July 21st 2006 08:50
My mate recently made a good point about this blog - all the posts deal with mainstream "Western" fashion. In Australia, we're blessed with diversity and a melting pot of cultures, and although the majority of the population has adopted the typical "Aussie/Western" dress code, there are plenty who still dress in the traditional attire of their ethnic roots. As a tribute to the many Australians from varied cultural and religious backgrounds, Style Space is going global! Every so often, I'm going to take a look at the traditional dress of a country, as well as discuss how it may have influenced any aspect of current Western fashion.
My friends, a young Peruvian couple, spent a substantial part of their lives in Peru, but they dress just like other Aussies. He wears Quiksilver shirts and jeans; she wears trackies and ugg boots. I've never gotten the impression that they're particular concerned with textiles, but in Peru, cloth is actually the heart and soul of a community. Special cloths, some of which have been passed down over centuries, are retained and valued as relics of ancestors.
Indigenous women changed the traditional Inca anacu into colourful layered skirts called polleras. Under their skirts, the women wear multiple layers of petticoats made from cotton (yes that world-renowned soft Peruvian cotton), which feature beautiful embroidery-illustrated edges:
Peruvian ponchos are marked by intense colour contrasts and geometrical figures, such as shapes and stripes. Apparently they're a variation on the traditional unku used by men in the seventeenth century, but men, women and children in Peru now all wear them:
Ponchos are also prominent in Western fashion. For example, McQueen includes this cropped poncho in his diffusion line, McQ.
Mostly worn in the coldest regions of the Andes, chullos are Peru's trademark hats. They're basically caps with earflaps, knitted from wool in brightly coloured geometrical patterns:
A couple of months ago, my friend received a ridiculous number of chullos for her 21st birthday, (no joke, she could give Surf Dive 'n' Ski's beanie department a run for their money). Clearly, chullos have a place in mainstream fashion too.
Peruvian traditional dress is also an inspiration to designers like John Galliano, who frequently fuses his Peruvian inspiration into the details of his shows. The recent Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 05-06 show featured a Peruvian song, and the Dior Spring/Summer 06 collection included the bag shown to the right, which is similar in shape to a traditional shoulder bag carried by men in Peru.
* These images are taken from muerto de risa, Thornhill Secondary School, BergdorfGoodman.com, Guía del Fotógrafo Viajero, SDS, and Style.com, and are used here to support commentary of Peruvian fashion.
Peru
My friends, a young Peruvian couple, spent a substantial part of their lives in Peru, but they dress just like other Aussies. He wears Quiksilver shirts and jeans; she wears trackies and ugg boots. I've never gotten the impression that they're particular concerned with textiles, but in Peru, cloth is actually the heart and soul of a community. Special cloths, some of which have been passed down over centuries, are retained and valued as relics of ancestors.
Indigenous women changed the traditional Inca anacu into colourful layered skirts called polleras. Under their skirts, the women wear multiple layers of petticoats made from cotton (yes that world-renowned soft Peruvian cotton), which feature beautiful embroidery-illustrated edges:
Edge of Peruvian skirt (muerto de risa)
Peruvian ponchos are marked by intense colour contrasts and geometrical figures, such as shapes and stripes. Apparently they're a variation on the traditional unku used by men in the seventeenth century, but men, women and children in Peru now all wear them:
School children in Peru (Thornhill Secondary School)
Alexander McQueen's McQ poncho (BergdorfGoodman.com)
Mostly worn in the coldest regions of the Andes, chullos are Peru's trademark hats. They're basically caps with earflaps, knitted from wool in brightly coloured geometrical patterns:
Peruvian man wearing chullo (Guía del Fotógrafo Viajero)
Billabong chullo (SDS)
Christian Dior S/S 06 Paris (Style.com)
* These images are taken from muerto de risa, Thornhill Secondary School, BergdorfGoodman.com, Guía del Fotógrafo Viajero, SDS, and Style.com, and are used here to support commentary of Peruvian fashion.
| 76 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by natasha
meanwhile, those sort of edgings on the skirts remind me of my ballet dancing days... when u do character dancing those russian skirts have a similar pattern... good times good times!
Comment by Sisi
oh wow those Russian skirts would've been gorgeous...i actually want to do a Russian post soon, because i love Russian traditional fashion, for both guys and girls. i have this top called a telnyashka that Russian sailors (actually most Russian men) wear and it's one of my favourite tops...it's basically just a blue/white striped top, very simple but i love the nautical look!
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Sisi
Comment by Stanley
Comment by Sisi