East meets West: A fashion dialogue between two cultures

At the turn of the 19th century, in the heart of Paris, a family of textile merchants thrived. Among them was a boy named Paul Poiret, raised in an atmosphere infused with art and beauty. His fascination with dressmaking led him from an apprenticeship at an umbrella factory to selling his hand-drawn designs to the great couture houses of the time, including the House of Worth.

Poiret, both innately talented and fiercely ambitious, soon grew restless. His creativity extended far beyond the constraints of conventional fashion, and in 1903, he launched his own haute couture house. It wasn’t long before he was crowned the “King of Fashion,” not only for his visionary designs but for his pioneering approach to marketing. He was the first to introduce artistic window displays, choreographed catwalk shows, and—most significantly—an ability to reference the distant and unfamiliar in a way that mesmerised the Western gaze.

His most influential creation? The early 20th-century wave of Orientalism, a movement that swept across Europe, redefining the aesthetics of luxury.

On a sun-drenched June day in 1911, Paul Poiret orchestrated the legendary One Thousand and Two Nights ball—an opulent affair that was as much a theatrical spectacle as it was a masterful marketing strategy. Attended by 300 members of high society, the event came with a strict dress code: guests were required to don Persian-inspired costumes, and those who failed to comply were given two choices—either leave or change into Poiret’s own designs. In an instant, his guests became living models, singing, dancing, and toasting one another in a setting that perfectly embodied the exoticism his fashion house was championing at the time. Poiret himself, assuming the role of a sultan, indulged his attendees with lavish gifts, presenting each guest with a bottle of the house’s latest fragrance, Nuit Persane (Persian Nights).

Poiret was among the first designers to answer fashion’s call to the East, reshaping Western dress in ways that were as radical as they were luxurious. His signature designs—sumptuous velvet robes reminiscent of kimonos, intricately embroidered sarongs, and fluid silk headscarves—were a bold departure from the rigid silhouettes that had long defined European fashion. But beyond clothing, Poiret had the foresight to sell an entire lifestyle, a revolutionary approach that would later shape the haute couture industry and solidify Orientalism as an elite aesthetic. It could even be argued that it was the East’s rich textiles and motifs that propelled Poiret to fame, though the brand’s dominance was ultimately curtailed by the upheavals of the First World War.

At the crossroads of two worlds, the Near East—spanning West Asian cultures—has been an enduring source of influence and inspiration in the evolution of fashion. Persian culture, in particular, holds some of the most significant clues in fashion’s historical lexicon, intricately interwoven with the sartorial traditions of Western men and women.

High heels, for instance, trace their lineage to the galesh riding boots of 10th-century Persia, later making their way to European courts in the early 17th century. The word “pyjama” originates from the traditional loungewear of South Asia and Iran, while the distinctive paisley motif, first seen during the Sasanian Empire, has survived centuries, despite being more commonly associated today with the Italian fashion house Etro. Khaki, kaftans, harem trousers, and turbans—all hallmarks of timeless elegance—also find their origins in the lands of One Thousand and One Nights.

The legacy of West Asian aesthetics continues to shape modern fashion. John Galliano’s Autumn/Winter 2011 menswear collection conjured visions of Persian princes and Genghis Khan’s cavalry, while a year later, Hermès unveiled a collection infused with the intricate artistry of Iran’s Tabriz carpets. Even Givenchy, under Riccardo Tisci in 2015, caused a stir with its evocative blend of Gothic influences and Persian opulence—most memorably embodied in the bejewelled, West Asian-inspired makeup that remains etched in the minds of fashion connoisseurs.

Before the First World War, the term “Near East” referred to the territories surrounding the Ottoman Empire, while “Middle East” described the northwestern regions of South Asia and Central Asia, and “Far East” encompassed the countries bordering the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans. This Eurocentric framework underscores the fact that Orientalism was a concept constructed from a Western vantage point—designed to serve Western interests rather than conform to familiar civilisational norms. It existed to emphasise the perceived distinctions between us and them.

Against this backdrop, when pioneering Japanese designers ventured onto the global fashion stage in the 1980s, their imperative was clear: to demonstrate that talent from the other side of the continent could do more than merely inspire Western creativity—it could drive the industry itself. Designers such as Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto, Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake, Junya Watanabe, and Kansai Yamamoto proved to be visionaries ahead of their time. They infused Eastern design philosophy into their work, prioritising fabric innovation, layering, and a deep understanding of balance—expressed through contrasts of yin and yang, colour and shadow, form and void. These trailblazers irrevocably altered the course of fashion history, paving the way for a new generation of Asian designers to chart their own paths.

By the 1990s, Chinese designers were making their mark in the wardrobes of stylish women worldwide. In the early 2000s, a new wave of talent emerged on international runways, with designers such as Uma Wang, Elie Saab, Robert Wun, Naeem Khan, Prabal Gurung, Bibhu Mohapatra, Jason Wu, Phillip Lim, and Derek Lam redefining contemporary fashion. At the time, the phrase “Asian Invasion” was used—half cautiously, half tinged with lingering racial bias—to describe this rise of Asian talent. Yet today, the industry’s outdated perceptions are being dismantled by a new generation of creatives who are both fiercely independent and deeply connected to their cultural roots.

Designers such as Peter Do, with his distinctly Vietnamese aesthetic that is both cerebral and rebellious; Sandy Liang, who captures a dreamy, euphoric femininity; and Miss Sohee, who channels the divine presence of legendary goddesses, represent this transformation. Meanwhile, Laura Kim—the romantic force behind Oscar de la Renta—brings poetic fluidity to Western couture, while Shushu/Tong infuses nostalgia with modernity. Cultural and social movements, from Stop Asian Hate in 2020 to the global rise of K-Pop, have further accelerated this shift, solidifying the presence of Asian creatives at the forefront of fashion.

To reduce everything to a rigid binary—East versus West, private versus public, time versus world—would be a disservice to the fluidity of cultural exchange.

This article was adapted from the original feature published in Tatler Vietnam, November 2024.

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