Old vs New: Afghanistan Fashion Scene

Loulou d'Aki is a Swedish photographer who visited Afghanistan during the Summer of 2017 and photographed the ever-changing fashion of today's men and women. It appears to be physically impossible to predict what people were to wear despite a culture clash between young and old going on behind the scenes. The men and boys of Kabul will wear both modern clothing and their traditional tunbaan (this is discussed in a previous blog titled "Tradition is Tradition"). This divide is so unpredictable that it is divided even amongst siblings. Ali, 14, and Setar, 16, stand side by side with Ali wearing very western clothing while Setar wears the tunbaan. However, what is not seen is that what appears to be brothers are in fact both girls. Their mother decided to dress them as boys in order to give them more opportunities in Afghanistan since she had yet to give birth to a son. The power a gendered piece of clothing gives is immeasurable in a society that restricts the possib...

As was mentioned in every single post done prior to this one, Afghanistan is in a war against itself in terms of conservative, traditional clothing and items that are modern, edgy, and western. Rahiba Rahimi is a Kabul based fashion designer (she is depicted above, observing two models) who runs the boutique Laman. She began designing clothing when her young, politically driven mind realized that "change can start with what you wear." Her goal is to take traditional styles of Afghanistan, the intricate and unique embroidery and designs, and turn them into practical clothing, items that are modern and new. She says, "Afghan women have always enjoyed colors and different patterns and dresses so it's built in the culture, and it's there." Rahimi isn't just creating clothing that is combining the old with the new. She is also creating work for women in her community. Many people in Kabul cannot afford her clothing for a dress can cost 3,000 Afghanis, or ...

What is the traditional clothing of Afghanistan? There has been major push back amongst the more conservative people of Afghanistan to have traditional dress become the mainstream within the Afghan fashion scene. This type of style consists of flowy and loose garments that cover a majority of the body like. . . Women: Tunbaan ⇢ this is a a loose pant that reaches the ankles under a dress or tunic. Chador/Hijab ⇢ head covering or headscarves are common and used to cover the woman's hair.     Burqa ⇢ today, only the ultra-conservative women will wear the burqa, which was once mandatory while under Taliban control (see previous post).     Formal ⇢ Women will wear a tunbaan with intricate designs and embroidery along with some bling; this bling can vary based on the region, but tiny, sewn on mirrors are common. Men:   Peraahan Tunbaan ⇢similar to the woman's tunbaan, but consists of a shirt and pants with a cloth cord called a azaarband tha...

One of the most iconic, most romanticized, aspects of Taliban Afghanistan is the infamous blue burqa. The covering was on the front page of newspapers as a cry for help in the country; the oppression of Afghan women under Taliban rule became a tool by media to gain favoritism for a war in the Middle East. It became a sign of tyranny as it was mandatory for women to wear these pale blue veils that covered the wearer from head to toe. Western media turned these women into passive damsels in distress that needed the aid of foreign power to save them from the oppressions of Islam. What the example of the mandatory burqas should have highlighted is how an interpretation of holy text that is glorified to the point of inaccuracy can lead to a dangerous status quo. It isn't the clothing. In pre-Islamic Afghanistan, the burqa was worn to showcase respectability and modesty. The idea of covering oneself is seen in any holy text, and in Islam, head or body coverings are personal choices of ...