OSHER 63 - Fashion Inspirations: From the Ancient Middle East to Modern High Fashion

The Middle East is known for many things. It's the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of Abrahamic religions, a main source of oil, and a hotbed of conflict in the world. We use different lenses to recognize and understand the region's cultural contributions, but--somehow--its leadership in fashion has been overlooked. While the history of high fashion associated with "fashion parades" (modern "runways") dates back to the 18th/19th century Paris, "fashion trends" existed before, probably as early as clothing itself. The earliest identifiable accessories, e.g., jewelry from the Middle East, are dated to 100,000 years ago. This course will present and discuss modern fashion trends based on ancient traditions of the Middle East.