Friday 5 October 2007

Polemic scarf

The photo on the right corresponds to the last Isabel Marant show. After reading this two opinions at the fashion spot:

"the scarves are like Balenciaga last season"


"let that god damn awful terrorist scarf die already"

I couldn't help but felt a bit embarrassed of how most people use this Palestinian symbol. I realised a lot of folks wear this scarf without even knowing what it means. It's just another fashion accessory. I dare say a part of them don't even know who Yasser Arafat was, and what the whole Arab-Israeli conflict is about.
Do you think is moral the way people use the Palestinian scarf?
Song: Imagine - John Lennon

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's the same with the pop-art prints of Che Guevara or Mao Zedong. Least people understand the meaning of what they actually stand for and I think using them as simply vain fashion items is ignoring historical facts connected with the symbolism that made a lot of people suffer and to parts still do. It's the most unconscionable expression of inappropriate ignorance.

Ella Gregory said...

I see sooooooooo many people wearing those scarves
I have never liked them anyway but didn't actually know anything about them which is probably bad of me

Ella Gregory said...

I see sooooooooo many people wearing those scarves
I have never liked them anyway but didn't actually know anything about them which is probably bad of me

Anonymous said...

Fashion has always incorporated powerful images, from flags sewn on uniforms to controversial sayings on tee-shirts to bloodstained camo designs. Such symbols hopefully foster discussion and understanding of the human condition.

Bojana said...

I have never liked those scarves because it made everyone look like Yaser Arafat. But well here only grungy people wear those.

Anyway. I guess fashion is just fashion. People shouldn't put political labels on clothes. Well that's my opinion anyway

Jen (MahaloFashion) said...

I did a post about this ages ago, it's terrible i'll never wear one.

María said...

Jennifer: I didn't mean that. I have one, and I wear it a lot. But I am conscious of what I wear, and I know what represents. For me it's not a simple accessory, it has a meaning.

WendyB said...

The Keffiyeh has been going in and out as a fashion accessory for at LEAST 30 years. This Village Voice article from 2 years ago gives a little perspective.
http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/
0508,lalli2,61280,15.html

Wikipedia has more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keffiyeh

Fenke said...

when i see people wearing this scarf i think two things.
1) i now understand my mother when she says' ah those wide legged pants- i used to wear them when i was your age.'
2) people do not know what this scarf means. when i wore it it had a meaning to me. now it is really not only "grungy" people who wear one - it reached the chique boutiques, and therefore lost its meaning. good or bad? i don't know. it just fashion - superficial.

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