pictures of oscar dresses 2011

pictures of oscar dresses 2011

pictures of oscar dresses 2011

oscar dresses 2011|Oscars' Hottest Trends

oscar dresses 2011|Oscars' Hottest Trends

Red-hot gowns! Screen-siren hair! A sprinkle of sparkles! See the styles that stars like Sandra, Anne, Jennifer and more wore on Hollywood's ultimate night

 

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Let's Talk About Pendleton

(look from Pendleton's new "Portland Collection" for Fall 2011. Source here.)

Last night I was cold. So cold, in fact, that I had to pull out not one, but two, of my Pendleton blankets to add some extra warmth to my bed. As I shook them out and laid them on my bed, I thought about how special these blankets are to me--one was a graduation gift, the other a thank you gift for serving on a panel about the "Future of Indian Education." In many Native communities, Pendleton blankets are associated with important events, and have been for hundreds of years. They are given as gifts at graduations, at powwow give-aways, as thank you gifts, in commemoration of births and deaths, you name it. In addition, I've always associated the patterns with Native pride--a way for Natives to showcase their heritage in their home decor, coats, purses, etc. There's something just distinctly Native about Pendleton to me.

(Stanford Native Graduation from a couple years ago)

But recently, Pendleton prints and fabrics have started popping up everywhere. It started with Opening Ceremony's Pendleton line in 2010, and now Urban Outfitters has started carrying a Pendelton line, celebrities are wearing Pendleton coats, and Native-themed home decor is apparently all the rage. Now Pendleton has announced their newest collaboration, The Portland Collection, which fashion blogs are proclaiming will be the big thing for 2011.

(from Opening Ceremony's line)

(Urban Outfitters)

 (urban outfitters)

(via Fashion Squad)

So what's the problem? I openly admit that a lot of these designs are adorable, and I would fully sport them (that bag! I love!), if I had a spare $1000 or so. I can't cry straight up cultural appropriation, because...well, it's complicated.

Pendelton has been supplying Natives with blankets and robes with Indian designs since the late 1800's, which the "history" section of their website outlines:

A study of the color and design preferences of local and Southwest Native Americans resulted in vivid colors and intricate patterns. Trade expanded from the Nez Perce nation near Pendleton to the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni nations. These Pendleton blankets were used as basic wearing apparel and as a standard of value for trading and credit among Native Americans. The blankets also became prized for ceremonial use.

It's almost a symbiotic relationship--they saw a market in Native communities, and Native communities stepped up and bought, traded, and sold the blankets, incorporating them into "traditional" cultural activities. Pendleton has also maintained close ties with Native communities and causes, making commemorative blankets for organizations like the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Indian Education Association. They work with Native artists to design the special edition blankets, and even donate some of the proceeds to the causes.

 (NIEA 40th anniversary blanket)

But then, on the other hand, they go off and do things like design a $5000 blanket with White Buffalo hair, which many tribes consider extremely sacred and definitely off-limits to commercial sale.

I do appreciate Pendleton's relationship with Native communities. I love my blankets, and love even more what they represent.

 

However, seeing hipsters march down the street in Pendleton clothes, seeing these bloggers ooh and ahh over how "cute" these designs are, and seeing non-Native models all wrapped up in Pendleton blankets makes me upset. It's a complicated feeling, because I feel ownership over these designs as a Native person, but on a rational level I realize that they aren't necessarily ours to claim. To me, it just feels like one more thing non-Natives can take from us--like our land, our moccasins, our headdresses, our beading, our religions, our names, our cultures weren't enough? you gotta go and take Pendleton designs too?

 (source)

Then there's the whole economic stratification issue of it too, these designs are expensive. The new Portland collection ranges from $48 for a tie to over $700 for a coat, the Opening Ceremony collection was equally, if not more, costly. It almost feels like rubbing salt in the wound, when poverty is rampant in many Native communities, to say "oh we designed this collection based on your culture, but you can't even afford it!"

So I don't know. Are all of these designs cultural appropriation? Should I ignore the twinge in my stomach every time I see a Pendleton pattern in the Urban Outfitters window? Should I embrace it as the mainstream fashion scene finally catching up with what we Natives have known since the 1800's?

Personally, the bottom line is that I would rather associate Pendleton with Native pride and commemorating important events...

(our panel last year)

...than with hipsters, high fashion, and flash-in-the-pan trends. But I'm obviously conflicted. What do you think? Are these designs and trends ok, or do I have a right to be upset?

(Thanks to Precious for getting me thinking about this!)

Supermodel Klara Wester

Supermodel Klara Wester

Supermodel Klara Wester

Klara Wester is Swedish model. Klara Wester has been the face of several magazines, Recently she was seen on US: Zink-March 2010. She had worked in Agencies like Mikas - Sweden, Chic Management, Women Management - Milan, Next Model Management - New York, Next Model Management - Los Angeles and Mega Model Agency - Berlin.

FAMOUS ART QUOTES, MUSIC QUOTES, PAINTING QUOTES, FILM MAKING QUOTES, PHOTOGRAPHY QUOTES:

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.
~ Twyla Tharp

Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.
~ Edward Steichen

The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality.
~ Henri Cartier Bresson

Never really went in for that kind of filmmaking about love. I think love...
~ Joe Pesci

Project Runway's "Squash Blossom" blouse

I've been reading a few Project Runway recaps and watching some sporadic clips online (again with the no cable thing--you think I can get cable written off as a blogging expense?), and a couple of people sent me this image from last week's episode.

From what I can gather, the contestants were asked to create a textile design, and then make an outfit centered around their creation. Gretchen chose the design above, which she called a "squash blossom" design, as a nod to her upbringing in the southwest.



So, it's actually kinda pretty. I like it. But, it's not a squash blossom design. This is a squash blossom design (or at least what I've always seen referred to as a Navajo squash blossom necklace):

(awesome picture, right? it's from Life Mag's archives, here)

Gretchen's design is, to me anyway, a Zuni headdress/sunbonnet design:

I think this brings up a really interesting discussion. I think it is ok for designers to "draw inspiration" from Native cultures, but it can become very uncomfortable very quickly, and there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what could be considered otherizing, marginalizing, and cultural appropriation.

As it stands, Gretchen collapsed many distinct tribes throughout the southwest region into one "Southwest Native American Style", and mis-characterized the design as a "squash blossom". She didn't attach an actual tribe to the design, which a quick google would have solved real quickly.

But also, like I said, I didn't see the episode, so let me know if I'm giving her an unreasonably hard time.

So, if Gretchen had said "my design is a design taken from the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, it is a traditional headdress or sun bonnet design, and is often used on jewelry pieces by pueblo artisans..." or something of the sort, would it have been better? I'm not sure.

Where do we draw the line of inspiration and appropriation? Can "inspiration" be done in a way that is positive for the (almost always) marginalized communities that the designs or styles are taken from?

These are things I grapple with all the time as images come through my inbox...and I'm still not sure I have an easy answer.

Thoughts?

UPDATE: apparently Gretchen DID call it a "sunbonnet" design, and the "squash blossom" came from the bloggers who apparently don't pay attention to the actual episode they are recapping. From my friend A.:

"Although I don't pretend to speak for the propriety of Gretchen's use of the sun bonnet pattern, I watched the episode, and she did say she was inspired by her mom's sun bonnet jewelry (not squash blossom), with multiple references to having grown up "in the southwest." The whole episode is available for viewing on mylifetime.com (it was an awesome episode, although not because of Gretchen)."

 So thanks for filling me in!

(Thanks Maria!)

Bonus Round: All the Awesome Tips in My Inbox

(screen shot from the new N.E.R.D. and Nelly Furtado video)

Welcome to a new Friday feature, where I round-up all the awesome tips I get in my inbox, but don't have a chance to write full posts about.

Consider it a work-in-progress (I still need a name for it--ideas? let me know!). If anything in here strikes your fancy, and you'd like me to write more about it, post in the comments. Tips with highest number of "votes" will get a full write up!

Ready? Here we go...

• Actress Erin Cummings has an image of her dressed in a headdress as her Twitter background, and when contacted about it, said the CBS producers liked it and approved it.

• Check out all these really creepy Indian dolls. I mean really creepy.

• The Little Marc Jacobs Store in Manhattan uses a Tipi in its window display

• Taylor Lautner, aka Jacob Black in the Twilight movies, comes to the shocking realization that Natives are just like everyone else! They hang out! They play basketball! Shocking!!

• Holier than Now talks about a new turban/headwrap trend and relates it to hipster headdresses.

• N.E.R.D. and Nelly Furtado's new video "Hot and Fun" has a bazillion headdresses and Native appropriations

• Broadway Bares (an annual fundraiser featuring broadway actors and dancers performing stripteases) featured an "Indian" baring all.

• Cage the Elephant has a new-ish music video featuring a headdress-clad dude for their song "In One Ear", and even an online contest to "win the headdress".

• Band "The Canon Logic" utilizes warpaint and a headdress in their new album art and advertising. 

• Zimbio has an image of Izia (a model)  and fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at the launch of the new clothing line in Paris, France. Izia is wearing a full warbonnet and feathered dress.

• Shrinky Dinks (yes they're still around) is selling a "Wild West Party Pack"--i.e. Cowboys and Indians. Interestingly, the Indians have a range of skin tones, and are shown doing the "modern" activities, but also are all wearing feathers and doing stereotypical activities as well (peace pipes, tom toms, canoeing, etc)

•  Bossip shares a "Wild West" inspired photo shoot for the release of Playstation 3, which consists of a barely clothed model in a headdress (probs NSFW). What does that have to do with Playstation?

• My friend Katie at Whiskey Tango Foxtrot put together a catch-all post on cultural appropriation in fashion. Great stuff. 

I have more, but I thought this was a good start! Keep the tips coming, and thanks to everyone who contributed.

(Thanks Lici, Peggy, Sarah, Tanis, Liz, Katie, Laurie, Christina, Kannon, Denise, Ben, Mom, Mar, and Lauren)

Beautiful T-Shirt designs for young girls

Beautiful T-Shirt designs for young girls

FAMOUS ART QUOTES, MUSIC QUOTES, PAINTING QUOTES, FILM MAKING QUOTES, PHOTOGRAPHY QUOTES:

Play the music, not the instrument.
~ Author Unknown

The departure of our boys to foreign parts with the ever-present possibility that they might never return, taught the real value of photography to every father and mother. To many a mother the photograph of her boy in his country's uniform was the one never-failing consolation.
~ Louis Fabian Bachrach

The goal is not to change your subjects, but for the subject to change the photographer.
~ Author Unknown

An artist's instinct is more refined than the typical mortal's.
~ Holden Rinehart

The Ultimate Tribal Fashion Roundup (June 2010 version)

(TNA Spring Catalogue)

It's been a while since my last tribal fashion roundup back in March, and even longer since I first questioned the emergence of Native themes in fashion back in January. The trends don't seem to be slowing down, and if the prevalence of the hipster headdress is any indication, they might be sticking around for even longer. So there may be an Ultimate Tribal Fashion Roundup July, and August, and September...we'll have to wait and see.

Just to get it out of the way early in the post, or in case you need a refresher, here's why all this is not cool: But Why Can't I Wear a Hipster Headdress?  The Last point is particularly relevant here, so I'll repost:

Well then, Miss Cultural Appropriation Police, what CAN I wear?

• If you choose to wear something Native, buy it from a Native. There are federal laws that protect Native artists and craftspeople who make genuine jewelry, art, etc. (see info here about The Indian Arts and Crafts Act). Anything you buy should have a label that says "Indian made" or "Native made". Talk to the artist. Find out where they're from. Be diligent. Don't go out in a full "costume". It's ok to have on some beaded earrings or a turquoise ring, but don't march down the street wearing a feather, with loaded on jewelry, and a ribbon shirt. Ask yourself: if you ran into a Native person, would you feel embarrassed or feel the need to justify yourself? As commenter Bree pointed out, it's ok to own a shirt with kimono sleeves, but you wouldn't go out wearing full kabuki makeup to a bar. Just take a minute to question your sartorial choices before you go out.  

These images are gathered from all walks of fashion and the far corners of the internets. Beneath each photo I've put the source and any other pertinent information. Most of the links have many more photos, but I just picked one or two for you to get the gist of it, so click through for more. Ready? Here we go...

Grazia Australia photo shoot 

DIY headdress from Bleach Black...it's still not ok even if you make it yourself. sorry. 

Vice Magazine "Modern Primitives" Shoot

American Apparel Look Book

"Dead Man" inspired shoot
(That's that movie with Johnny Depp, right? so they're not calling Natives dead?)

It's invaded accessories too:

Hermes Scarf

(And I had posted this other Hermes Scarf earlier)

Spool 72., which I've also posted about earlier, has even more bags made out of "vintage Native American rugs" on their site now

Marc Jacobs "Navajo-print" High Tops

Mosley Tribes Lyndel Beaded Sunglasses

Nicole Richie's House of Harlow Moccassins (sold at Kitson) 

Seen on the Cherry Blossom Girl Blog

Kitson e-mail newsletter--Buyers Picks: Tribal Accessories

Window displays at Juicy Couture Manhattan (they had the same ones in SF too)

Headdress T-shirt at Blush in Manhattan

Urban Outfitters "Obey Navajo" Shirt

There are so many more, but hopefully this gives a good overview of some of the stuff out there. I'll try and do some of these roundups a little more often throughout the summer, and as always, continue to send things to me as you see them. 

I've realized this post is sadly devoid of snarky commentary! I'll make up for it in the next one, promise. 

(Thanks to Lici, Tasha, Jesse, Natalie, Katie, Sarah, Mollie, Tanis, Consuelo, Lisa, and anyone else I missed!)