MAND

For my capstone project, I am delving into multiple intertwined concepts, relating to multiculturalism, history and abstract emotion.Identifying as a first generation, Sikh-Punjabi-Canadian, that part of my identity has always been one of my driving inspirations for fashion. The 70s was also a major year for fashion in both European countries and South Asia. I take inspiration from the styles of the era and iconic Bollywood cinema. The fashion presented by iconic actresses like Rekha and Zeenat Aman inspired the fashion for the next generation of iconic actresses like Deepika and Priyanka Chopra making it an influential decade in fashion. It was in the 70s that the Sikh population skyrocketed in Canada, especially from Toronto to Windsor, which is where my family is situated today. Because they chose to relocate to a foreign country and restart their lives in Canada, they were forced to adapt to new cultures. Creating this new culture came with challenges like deciding how to balance tradition with Western lifestyle. Many first generation Canadians, like myself, constantly struggle with this search for identity balancing their Indian heritage and Canadian lifestyles. This search for identity also bleeds into self expression in fashion. Fashion is an important aspect of gender and class politics in South Asian culture which shows the various differing, yet similar ways in which women’s bodies are policed. Through fashion, one can observe the connected ideologies of the patriarchy, technology, religion, global consumerism onto dressed bodies representing the axes of the patriarchy, technology, religion, global consumerism onto dressed bodies representing the axes of traditional cs modern and sexual vs chaste (Lipi Begum, 2018). For my capstone, I wish to explore these axes and create wearable fashion for the everyday woman of South Asian heritage to wear to various different occasions. I want to find a balance between traditional chaste design and modernized and subjectively sexual designs. I want to empower women to feel comfortable in their bodies and be proud of their heritage while embracing their multi cultural identities. I want for women of a similar cultural background as myself to feel represented and that they are not alone in thee struggle to find their unique identities. I want for us to come together and celebrate our modern heritage.