“Babushka scarf” as fashion trend.
Personally, I think it is great when the biggest Fashion Houses get inspired by ancient traditions and bring them back to the nowadays society as a fashion trend.
The future builds on the foundation of the past.
An endless cyclical process, if you like.
But I also think that it is crucial to know the history behind the clothes you are wearing.
Even if you don’t give a heck about the world of fashion, a little bit of additional information never killed nobody.
So I urge you: cultivate your curiosity and invest in self-development.
Here is a little bit of the history behind the trend “Platok” (mean. “shawl” from Russian) and clarification on the different terms from the person with Russian heritage, first-hand so to speak.
I would like to start with the term “Pavlovo Posad shawl”.
It is a shawl that historically was worn by women in Russia. It has a square form, beautiful flower pattern, usually roses or peonies, and silky tassels across the fabric. It comes in variety of a different colours, but the most classic combination is a black shawl with red peonies and bright green leaves.
The shawl got its name in honour of the city where it has been produced from 1812: , a small town outside the Moscow in Russia.
Shawls are made from 100% wool or silk. Every colour is printed using special technology and dried separately to achieve better contrast and sharpness of the pattern details.
Historically in Russia, women covered their heads to save themselves from the harsh cold of winter climate. The shawl was a practical and at the same time, an elegant piece of every girl’s wardrobe.
After the Baptism in Russia, when Orthodoxy became the main religion, covering heads for women were considered as an important part of women’s outfit as it was a symbol of innocence.
At the end of the XIX century, shawls became even more popular in Russia. Women of all ages wore them during different times of the year as an additional accessory to their outfit.
They would wear them across their shoulders or hips, but most commonly as a headwear: would tie the ends of the shawl under the chin or at the back of the head.
As life goes by, covering heads for women in society was not necessary anymore, so this way of using the shawl slowly died.
Shawls as a headwear became worn by the older generation and mostly by those who lived in the countryside.
Based on that, the younger generation started to call this shawls as “Babushka Platok”, that translates from Russian as “Granny’s shawl”.
That’s it. Simply as it is.
Now, to the fashion industry.
In 2000s Babushka shawls became popular again, when Fashion Houses as Vetements and Gucci brought this fashion element back to the runway.
Probably, this was the first time when you started to hear the “Babushkas” term.
Hereupon, it became a part of the street style that famous models and fashion influencers were adopting to the day-to-day life.
The most popular it got was when hip-hop fashion killa A$ap Rocky released his single “Babushka boi” and showed at the LACMA Art and Film Gala in Los Angeles wearing a total Gucci look.
- from the Dazed magazine.
But it is also worth to mention, that, head shawls are not only traditional Russian accessory. It is also worn by women and men in different cultures and religions from Islam to Sikhism.
Moreover, the first luxury brand that introduced this stylish piece of an outfit before Gucci, was French fashion house Hermès in 1937. Made with Chinese silk, it was an immediate hit, especially among royalty and celebrities like Queen Elizabeth, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.
Fashion designer Ulyana Sergeenko, for example, started to translate the best details from Russian heritage in her looks since 2011, when she launched her own fashion label.
Russian culture, craftsmanship and technical knowledge have defined her work from the beginning: a lot of handcrafted stitching, knitting and embroidery.
These are just a few examples of the major names in the fashion industry.
Enough, to understand the chronology of the events.
As you can see, one has to have the courage to be bold and provocative in order to be remembered. So don’t be afraid to experiment with your style.
Don’t just copy something already popular. Don’t be just a follower of the trends.
Be the new trend. Be an innovator. As much as it possible in the fashion world.
Originally published at https://www.pryanik.store on November 20, 2020.
