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Interventions in Traditional Clothing Systems Through Anthropological Perspective

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the characteristics of fashion, its Eurocentric ideals and its overbearing reference to modernity. The institutionalized meaning of fashion and its values in the history of fashion studies is summarized. The research challenges the Western perspective of traditional clothing systems. In this background, an inclusive definition of fashion from the perspective of fashion anthropology is used as an anchor to analyze the contribution of traditional or indigenous clothing systems toward the changing needs of the world. The representation of the traditional clothing styles and its textile art forms is discussed. Analysis of traditional clothing styles in the framework of art design compositions provides an opportunity to re-imagine their significance. The source of these information is collected from the different forms and domains of secondary information available in published space. The result of the analysis exemplifies the design propositions of the African traditional clothing styles: African wax prints/Ankara prints, kente cloth, Bogolanfini, traditional batik prints, Adinkra and Adire—tie and dye fabrics as an emerging aspect for promoting cultural diversity, decolonization and sustainable designs. Further the case study also explores the interactions with the fashion leaders, designers, artists, exposure to newer ways of life and relations with foreign nations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fashion Technology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, India

    V. Nithyaprakash & A. Thambidurai

  2. Department of Fashion Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai, India

    S. Niveathitha

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  1. V. Nithyaprakash
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  2. S. Niveathitha
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  3. A. Thambidurai
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Correspondence to V. Nithyaprakash .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Sustainable Textile, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Miguel Ángel Gardetti

  2. Centro de Estudios e Investigación para el Desarrollo, la Innovación y Sostenibilidad, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicada, Lima, Lima y Callao, Peru

    Rosa Patricia Larios-Francia

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Nithyaprakash, V., Niveathitha, S., Thambidurai, A. (2023). Interventions in Traditional Clothing Systems Through Anthropological Perspective. In: Gardetti, M.Á., Larios-Francia, R.P. (eds) Sustainability Challenges in the Fashion Industry. Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing, Manufacturing & Chemistry. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0349-8_13

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