Abstract:

Representations and decorations of non-western dresses in the fashion history are mostly conceptualized as fantastic, bewitching, epic, remarkable, different, exotic, spiritual, timeless and unchanging. This approach confirms the obsession of western cultures as demonstrating their civilized ways to show that they are different from, and superior to other cultures. Starting from the beginning of the 19th century, these tempting messages and representations can be exemplified in the western dress history with the diversity of decorations and technical virtuosities of the non-western dress by means of the devastating taste of exotic styles with unique motifs. For this reason, modern fashion history and dress history constructs discourses of exoticism, primitive and authentic look which have been widely practiced by western fashion designers and icons of the related period. With that reason, Ottoman costumes and production techniques were also considered as exotic, powerful and * Yrd.Doç. Izmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi, Güzel Sanatlar ve Tasarım Fakültesi, Moda ve Tekstil Tasarımı Bölümü, Sakarya Cad. No:156, Balçova/İzmir,[email protected],0-232-4117107-4117101 extravagant while adopted and interpreted by the Europeans during the 16th century. The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze the cultural transformations richly colored with intricate patterns and ornamental representations of non-western dress codes in fashion inspired by the orient as an exotic. In accordance with the visual data obtained in the study, the concept of the “exoticism” will be interpreted as the representation of the nonwestern. This study will also include the exotic dresses and accessories produced from the luxurious materials as the representation of the power and extravagance used by the Ottomans and the Europeans in the 16th Century.

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