1620. The Mayflower wighed anchor from Plymouth, England, near the Cornish border, to take the first pilgrim fathers to the New World. That was the first moment when the North European culture was meeting the North American one.
During the centuries these two visions have been influenced each other a lot: religion, language, fashion are some of the aspects that we can say have been sometimes shared and sometimes imposed to the populations or have been grabbed as inspiration or cultural enrichment by the European.
Dealing with a different culture is never easy and portaying it is always a big thing for the designers who create garments inspired by an alien culture. What makes the difference is respect.
Sarah Burton‘s Fall 17 collection for Alexander McQueen is a magical journey through the paths of Cornwall. The focus is on the fabrics and the techniques used to create the garments, so detailed and with a strong connection with the nature.
It is a respectful collection dedicated to that region where witchcraft and paganism are traditional.
Both FW17 menswear and SS17 haute couture collections designed by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy grabbed inspiration from the American culture of the XIX century, made them contemporary and, in the case of menswear, closer to streetwear.
Behind the haute couture collection there is the intent to play with the native american women’s culture without offending it, as remaked by the designer.