For centuries, fashion has sought aesthetic inspiration from a wide variety of non-Western sources. Viewed positively, this practice has enriched both textile and fashion design in the West for many centuries, promoted trade and the appreciation of a wide aesthetic range. In the U.S., ethnic-inspired fashion and textiles have been one means by which minorities can express pride in their heritage and hold onto or rejuvenate aspects of the culture immigrants left behind, while allowing others to express sympathy and solidarity with the disenfranchised. As Western fashion has become the everyday norm in many non-Western cultures the preservation of local aspects of design has become ever more important to maintaining cultural identity. Yet there are many negatives. Westernization of fashion in many minorities' home countries was often a result of colonialism and the painful loss of native culture. The adoption of ethnic styles does not guarantee cultural knowledge or sympathy on the part of the creator or the wearer and can underscore social and racial tensions among those who "look different." Additionally, some disenfranchised communities-Native Americans and African Americans in particular-resent what they see as the commercial exploitation of textiles, imagery, and styles they consider their own and for which they receive no compensation. The course will survey ethnic influences on fashion from several of these perspectives. Class readings and discussion will consider iconic ethnic garments and textiles and ways in which modern fashion's use of them has had bearing on ethnic identity and Amerian culture. Students will also have the opportunity to examine source materials for and the results of ethnic borrowing in fashion by visiting local museum collections as well as boutiques and department stores and, if possible, the annual Tribal Arts show at Fort Mason.

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