Saturday, December 27, 2008

Fashion Designs inspired by traditional cultural dress

Picture retrieved from
Mathew Williamson is a fashion designer who was inspired by several traditional cultural dress within Africa. The picture above to your left, features the traditional clothing worn in Ethiopa. The picture to your right features Williamson's designs inspired by the Ethiopian traditional cultural dress. These garments were part of his spring summer 2008 collection.
What is your opinion about the designs?
Do you think his designs are to similar to the original Ethiopian garments? If so, why or why not?
What would you have done differently as a designer ?

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

i like the designs that matew created. i do think that they are too similiar to the original designs but its ok. i dont think i would have done anything diffrent because i like the designs how they are already.
yanilis c.

Anonymous said...

My opinion about the designs is that i felt that they were to similar to the original Ethiopian inspiration. The designer to me really didnt change up much about the outfit. As a designer i probably would have made the outfit/garments look more modern. I would change up both the colors and length of the outfit. I would also add different necklines to the Ethiopian inspired outfits so that it looks more like my own design rather then a replica of the original piece.

Alyssa R.

Unknown said...

I think that Williamson's designs are very different. I think this because his clothing is much shorter and re created. The original clothing is longer and less curver, and his clothing shows curves.

Unknown said...

i think that Mathew Williams designs are beutiful and nice. his designs do look a little bit too much like the original designs like using the same color and format as the original designs. what i would have done differently would be, not to include the borders at the bottom of the designs because that is what makes it more original. Also i would have used the same patterns with modern clothing.

janice c.

LaShawnP. said...

My opinion about the designs is that there is nothing at all wrong with them. Its looks like Matthew was really inspired, and incorparated the designs well. His designs I dont think his designs are that similar, even though they show even a bit of relationship. You can see how he transformed it into his own. As a designer I feel Matthew did a wonderful job, but for my taste I would have made it a bit more modern, and able to be worn as evening wear.

LaShawn P.

Unknown said...

Matthew Williamson realy kept the culture of the original Ethiopian dress. He didn't realy change anything about the design but he mad it look more youthful and modern. I would have made the dresses less traditional by changing the colors or adding different prints.

-Elizabeth P

Anonymous said...

I think that the designer Mathew Williamson didn't change that many things in the original Ethiopa traditional clothes. They look just the same except he made it more modern. He made it so any person could wear it, and made it a much younger look. As a designer a thing I would change is by using there traditional colors, but make them darker or lighter. Also by adding some patterns that represent there culture.
-Alicia. M

Unknown said...

I think the design is like a very modern version of the originl Ethiopian garments, I also think they are too similar to the originals. it doesnt think he really created anything it jus seem like he just changed it a little I think as I designer I would have used the ideas of there patterns and would have used it for a different type of garments like have the long pattern go down the side of a pare of pants to change it up a little

Anonymous said...

I think the designs were really great they actually looked more modern. In the other hand they are a little more similar to the original designs he didnt add anything to the garments to make it his own. I would have actually added a little more color different pattarns to it but have keept the actual traditional features in a way.

Anonymous said...

I think Matthew Williamson tried to make the Eithiopian designs more mondern, but in his own way. He used the pattern and idea of the way Eithiopian clothing originally looks, but he just added his own spice into it. As a designer I would of put a label on the clothing so they know that I created it.
-Patricia C.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love the traditional African clothing. To me its fresh and really brings out the culture of Africa. For the first design the yellow/white dress, it is a little too similar but as trying to adapt and recreate a design the garment must be ,kind of, similar. With this design I wouldnt have done anything differnt. The second design, the green/white with the pattern going down the middle is lovely. With how Williamson interpreted it i think it is great. I would have maybe made the sleeves shorter and had the pattern around the sleeves and collar. But overall the clothing is (my word, dont steal it!) Hotness!

Unknown said...

I think mathew williamson made the Ethiopian culture wear look more modern and young and made it look more presentable to Now what most people are wearing.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
EMONEY said...

My opinion of his collection is that its beautifull and it has that ery chic bohemian look which I like very much.I think its not his fault that his collection looks very similar to the traditional culture clothing of Ethopia because that washis inspiration. I liked how he americanized those dresses with booties and wide waist belts. As a designer I would of made the colors on the garments brighter and metallic.
Emely T.

Anonymous said...

I think Matthew Williamson's collection is very diffrent & unique & is very cute. I think in his collection , he does have similar garments that ethiopians use to wear. I kind of also think his collection is a lil bit african lookinq too. With the dresses he had in one of the pictures , i prlly would of added a belt or two to some of his dresses

Anisa

Unknown said...

My opinion of the dresses was that they were nice but the they look to similar to the traditional dresses.As a designer I maybe would have added more colors or added the two colors together.

Ashlie T

Anonymous said...

My opinion is that they are very unique but yet have a taste of the Ethiopa clothing.I think they arent the same as the Ethiopa clothing because the designs that Matt created are more sexy,more fashionable to wear now in days.If they were my designs, I would add more patterns.
Jocelyn S.

Anonymous said...

i think that Mathew Williamson's designs are very creative being that he was inspired by the cultrual ethiopian clothing.i do feel like his clothing is alittle similar although that may have been what he was goin for because he might have wanted to show ethiopia clothing with a modern day twist. As a designer i probably would have changed the color a little bit just to add some of my own diversity to the mix.


Dominique E.

Anonymous said...

Janicia

I think that his designs are almost a like.I think that his design are similar to the original Ethiopian garments because they have the same style, patterns and they only have modern day today.

If I was to create designs from a traditional cultural I would have take the patterns on their clothing and put it on to my designs.

Anonymous said...

my opinion on his designs is that he was inspired by the culture Ethiopa and his designs are very similar to the culture but he made it more modern

2.i think his designs are similar from the fabric and the colors but he made his designs more and modern for a younger crowd
3. what i would do dofferent is make the deisigns simiklar but not identical i would add my pwn stlye to it but makwe it obivious i incorprated the designs

BAABAA said...

umm i really like the designers way of americanizing his line and making it more modern. I really like how the dresses look and how they fit. His clothing is very similar to ethopian clothing worn. If i were a designer i would design footwear to go along with the clothing
Tiffany G.

Unknown said...

They do look similar, and the 1 on the left is not a good example cause we have other short, curvier traditional cloth that looks exactly like the 1 mattew tried to copy.

Unknown said...

Matthew has a flare for fashion . I really like his designs.....i noticed that with all designers .there inspration comes from anywhere . I liked how he was inspired by another country !