Outside the main four of Paris, Milan, London and New York; Fashion Week tends to be a mixed gathering of fashion students and socialites. In other words, a rich man’s hobby. This is true at Tunis Fashion Week, but it also holds an important place as a platform for liberated bodies and minds.
It is difficult to follow the cultural shifts happening among the Muslim world, the diaspora in Europe has been influencing the fashion world for the past season, but as one young Tunisian fashion journalist pointed out, with the exception of Azzedine Alaia there aren’t any Maghreb designers or Arab models being represented. Fashion adapts to throwing in a token hijab to adapt to a trend rather than a market. Cultural dress in the outskirts of cities like Paris, can easily be mistaken for hipster.
Tunisia’s Azzedine Alaia was on everyone’s mind at this season’s tenth anniversary of Tunis Fashion Week set in the historical theatre of Carthage as was the recent elections. What is sure, is that the fate of the country both politically and artistically is in the hands of the upcoming “Generation M”. At the same time, muslim women can’t be grouped together as they are diverse as ever especially with more Arabs choosing to leave the West, Tunisa plays an important role as the real cultural center of East meets West. And as we have witnessed over the week, the voices and vision of women are ever more prevalent.
Marc Medina captured the mood of this new generation at Tunis Fashion Week on 35mm.
