How Ethnic Trends Are Creeping Into Mainstream Fashion, Part 2
by Zara Khan
I remember when I first discovered mirror work. Glittering and glitzing in every direction - this work literally was the diamond in the rough. Mirror-work is traditionally known as shisha embroidery and contains origins from Persia and India. The work is tiny mirrors embroidered into cloth that make this beautiful design against bright colors.
Mirror work is not just common in cloth, but has its iconic looks in architecture. The Sheesh Mahal translated as “The Palace of Mirrors” is located in Lahore, Pakistan and is covered in reflective glass tiles. The legend goes that Shah Jahan constructed Sheesh Mahal for his beloved. Mirrors were used in eccentric and elegant ways for the Mughals, fast forward to fashion now, and we see quite an influence of mirror work.
I laid my eyes on these Tory Burch shoes a while ago and they definitely looked familiar, I couldn’t pinpoint until I realized they had used mirror-work. Free People often uses mirror work subtly and transforms the ethnic design into mainstream fashion as well. This Free People mirror work jacket is a great example. Ethnic trends are creeping into mainstream fashion. A small scroll through the Free People website and I even noticed the famous ajrak print from the province of Sindh, Pakistan plastered on the back of a another Free People jean jacket.
The point of this is to show how little knowledge we have of our clothing. Oftentimes, we buy something because we find it cute but where did this print come from? What is this design? Where did this embroidery stem from? It is so significant that we understand our inspired clothing and their roots. From this, we can learn to respect and appreciate the love of other cultures and places.
Read part 1 of “How Ethnic Trends Are Creeping Into Mainstream Fashion.”
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