- How South Asia clothed the world: history, politics, and fashion

Catalog description

Investigates the history of textiles and clothing, from the perspective of South Asia, focusing on the period between the 16th century to the present. Unrecognized by many today, cotton originated in South Asia and finely woven, embroidered, and natural dyed textiles from the subcontinent were highly desired across the globe for centuries. This course examines the meanings and circulation of South Asian textiles in the early modern era, the role of South Asian cotton in British colonization, the Industrial Revolution, and the struggle for Independence from colonial rule. We will also examine problematic issues pertaining to modern fashion trends, from haute couture to fast fashion and larger issues including cultural influence, fusion/hybridity, and appropriation. Students will undertake a project that engages with cloth/clothes as a means for recovering the possibilities and potential of clothing, while still stressing the costs – environmental, social, personal – of the clothes we wear.