Fashion knows no borders

Last week was the heart of New York Fashion Week -- a week full of runway shows, parties and free gifts. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend this season, but my misfortune opened my eyes to a bigger picture. On my way to New York, I got into a car accident and so I asked Mallory Zalkin, a fashion reporter for the Indiana Daily Student, to report on the week's festivities. As I was editing her story, I had to log on to an Associated Press site and pick out pictures to accompany her coverage.\nAs I was looking for these pictures, I stumbled across Naomi Campbell strutting her stuff at Sao Paulo Fashion Week. I then stumbled across fashion week pictures from Lebanon, Hungary and Spain. I had no idea all of these fashion weeks were going on at the same time. Although I was supposed to be looking for pictures from New York Fashion Week, my fascination with the bright colors from Lebanon and the abstract fashion on the runways of Brazil got the best of me. \nI began to think of an e-mail I received with links to fashion from Pakistan. I was caught up in the pictures for hours. The bright array of colors and the way fashion was expressed was so different from the American norm. \nEverything was so ornate, and the hand-dyed silks in shades of purple, gold and red were striking. The big eyes peering mysteriously from behind a beautiful sari makes you want to be that girl. From an artistic standpoint, it was absolutely phenomenal. \nTo know the embroidery on some of the garments takes years. It made me think of the different cultures and how each one adds something to the fashion industry that makes it one of the most unique industries in the world. Of course, anyone can appreciate diversity, especially the contribution made by people from different countries. You have to appreciate the Italians for their craftsmanship and ease, the British for their edge, the Japanese for their modern cuts, the French for their luxury and artistic presentation of fashion and of course, the Americans for making fashion functional -- i.e. jeans. \nAccording to Women's Wear Daily, Pakistan, The United States' fourth-ranked supplier of cotton, is planning on making a killing in the American textile/apparel market now that China's cotton supply is scarce. \n"Five of Iraq's neighbors -- Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait -- export measurable amounts of apparel to the United States. Jordan in particular has seen its exports grow sharply since President Bush inked a free trade pact with King Abdullah in September 2001, said WWD writer Scott Malone in his article "War & Trade."\nNow that fashion has grown increasingly global including places like Hungary, Brazil, Russia and Lebanon, it makes me ask myself, "What will they contribute?" \nLooking over the designs of Carlos Miele and other Brazilian designers, I must say Brazilians are bringing inspiration from nature directly to the runways with wings, feathers and colors that provoke thoughts of the sky and the rain forest. The Russians bring a sense of drama with long flowing coats, furs and clothes decorated with jewels, the Arabic culture has influenced many with embroidered pants, shirts and headwraps or veils. Now I am seeing shirts and skirts made of Batik, an Indonesian fabric, at LaRedoute and other clothing stores. \nI have found hope in a dark place. I was not able to go to fashion week this season, but I was able to see fashion in a new light as a powerful force that brings us all together. Soon, we will need fashion diplomats, people who go to shows signing international runway agreements and help countries upstart their own fashion industries. Even if there is a war, we still have to look good. Isn't it wonderful when everything comes full circle?