Book Ref: Wood, M (1981). Native American Fashion. United States of America: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p94-97.
Article Ref: Klemesrud, Judy. "Fighting a War on Behalf of Indians." New York Times (October 24, 1970): 20.
Internet Ref: Blanks, T. (2015). Alberta Ferretti Ready To Wear Spring/Summer 2016.Available: http://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2015-ready-to-wear/alberta-ferretti. Last accessed 16th Feb 2016.
The finallie of the Alberta Ferretti S/S 2015 show embodied a round up of the free spirited "flower child" theme that had been so prominent within a number of catwalk shows during Fashion Week. Elements of Pocahontas were created through the use of tan shade tassels, waistcoats and woven moccasin shoes that plays don the key trends of the 70's, which historically embodied the fashions of subcultural America. Tim Blanks states that the collection is an embodiment of Jone Mitchell and carries a heavy air of LA etherealness. The spirit of the late 1960's/70's created through the combination of white cotton gowns, feather decor and draped suedette fringing. Native American style is connected with the colour palette of a wild America, connecting to the burnt reds and tanned browns of the canyons and wasteland deserts.
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| http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring- summer-2015/ready-to-wear/alberta-ferretti |
Taking a focus into the influence on Native American culture within Ferretti's Spring/Summer collection for 2016 is a slightly newer approach to the exhibition of boho style within high fashion as it acknowledges the route of many of the trends that were adopted by the hippie culture within the 70's. In regards to the history of Native American fringing and its use within fashion today there is a blurred sense of cultural appropriation and conflict between whether its use is considered offensive or sympathetic. Originally the technique acted as a guttering effect that repressed rainwater from the wearers clothing. Garments were often made of leather, hide or suede which acted as natural waterproofing, this was then hung in strips along the highest and lowest points of the garment to allow rainwater to run off the person.
Fringe made its first decorative appearance during the 1920's with the flapper movement. Its intention was to add the illusion of length to daring styles of dress that without which would have been seen as too exposing to public dress. The style wasn't reintroduced into fashion again until the 1960's as part of the hippie movement within the USA. By the 1970's however this had been abandoned as an awareness of the civil rights movement had deemed the garment of fringing as inappropriate towards the Native American culture. That being said its influence did return momentarily following the successful of the Black Civil Rights movement whereby influence spread to the Native American communities and became adapted onto garments as a symbol of sympathy and awareness of their culture and cause. Fashion designer Giorgio di Sant'Angelo caused a degree of controversy however when he elaborated Native American ceremonial dress for his Fall/Winter collection in 1970. Backlash arose when he was confronted by Native American folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie who deemed that the wearing/adoption of Native dress was insensitive as a result of the suffering undergone by that culture. In regards to todays perception of the use of fringing, the garment design is seen predominantly as decorative although there still remains that route connection to Native styling, however whether the same level of controversy still surrounds it is not as clear. Personally I feel that adaptations of fringing like many other cultural traits are acceptable when done respectfully however many modern versions of such styling have been reinvented to a contemporary feel that is distanced from that of the original aesthetic.
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