Fashion and orientalism

Adam Geczy

"Orientalism is a central factor within the fashion system, both subtle and overt. In this timely and groundbreaking book, the author shows the extent of the influence that the Orient had, and continues to have, on fashion. Our concept of Western fashion is unthinkable without it, whether in terms of the growth of the cotton industry or of garments we take for granted, such as the dressing gown. From pre-modern to contemporary times, this book demonstrates that, in the realms of fashion, the Orient is not simply a construction or a fascination of the imperial West with its eastern-other. Rather, it reveals the extent of cross-pollination, exchange and multiple translation that has taken place between East and West over the last 500 years. Exploring topics including Chinoiserie, masquerade, bohemianism, Japonisme, the 'de-Orientalization' of the Orient, perfume and the birth of...