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Blast From the Past On The Runways
New York Fashion Week Fall 2003
By: Mari Davis
(Photos courtesy of Ozwald Boateng, Zang Toi and Vivienne Tam)
Click here to view slideshow.
DALLAS, Feb 24, 2003/ FW/ --- Three designers, two different runways, one common theme -
a look back to earlier times, the ancient civilization of China and Japan.
First it was Ozwald Boateng in Paris for his Fall 2003 menswear collection who drew his
inspiration from the the inter-linked, yet fundamentally different cultures of China and Japan.
Using the Shinobi Shozoko, the traditional uniform of the Ninja and floor length coats of the
Oriental monks as basis, Ozwald Boateng imagined and executed a future modernity that he showed
in his collection.
In New York, Zang Toi was drawn to the past also. He saw ancient Japan from the work of Ogata
Korin, an 18th century Japanese artist who captured the serenity of the Japanese countryside
with his art.
Zang Toi also saw the drama of the Kabuki Theater with its ornate customes and make-up.
He saw dichotomy - serenity and high drama. And in a masterful stroke, he created a modernity,
a 'past future perfect' collection - the past affecting our present for fall 2003 which is in
the future.
Vivienne Tam had a similar thought, but different at the same time. She went back to her
homeland, the Imperial Palace of ancient China, the center of high-fashion for the Chinese
during the middle ages.
Whereas Zang Toi and Ozwald Boateng glorified the past and put them in a modern context,
Vivienne Tam glorified the present, using elements of hip-hop while infusing the spirituality
and discipline of ancient China.
Vivienne Tam interpreted the circular, hexagonal, pagoda, and clover shaped windows
leading from the palace interiors into the gardens.
Double layering found on skirts as well as jackets conceals a hidden layer beneath
the top decoration.
Embroidered tulle vests are decorated with sequined and fur under-layers.
Skirts have been cut to reveal under-layers of tulle. This multi-dimensional layering
of fabrics creates the effect of looking through palace windows into the gardens.
Three original collections, bound by a common theme - contrasting elements converged.
From the past we see our future - a 'modernity that stretches beyond our imagination.'
Ozwald Boateng
Ozwald Boateng
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Ozwald Boateng
Ozwald Boateng
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