Asia style

Like other art forms such as dance, music and painting/sculpture, fashion in Asia has evolved a character and style of its own. Literally blending East and West, Asian designer fashion is stretching not just its boundaries but also its reach and influence on the international fashion stage.

Douglas Bullis’Fashion Asia (Thames & Hudson, London; available at National Book Store) gives a good view of how this blending looks. Covering almost 50 designers from eight countries, you’ll see clothes that run the gamut from almost traditional costumes to stylized interpretations of national and ethnic attire to downright avant garde that cross all barriers.

The region provides some very rich materials for designers to work with, but they are hardly confined to the silks and weaves of their cultures. They use every bolt available to them on every hue, shade and texture their imaginations demand.

Just as new designers are invigorating the established fashion capitals of the world, so the designers of Asia are contributing their creative energies–plus the richness of their cultures–to the world of fashion. – Dina Sta. Maria