I'll start the ball rolling... I love Demon Slayer, and I think the most stylish character in that anime is no other than super villain Muzan Kibutsuji. He has lived for hundreds of years, embodying different characters and genders throughout but his fashion never wavered.. Sharp suits and tailoring.
I loveeee Demon Slayer! Just watched the Infinity Castle movie at the start of the year and it was epic! I also like how they mixed traditional attire with more modern silhouettes as the series progressed and time periods evolved
As far as flowers go, I think we can see their greater inclusion as statement within the realm of fashion to potentially be another aspect of the "east asian" wave that's washed over western fashion in the last half decade or so. Some of what you describe as being undone, unusual, etc, is part of a flower arranging tradition that has been a part of, at the very least, japanese culture for a very long time. The view of flowers as passive is, in my opinion, much a western perspective on the matter. Generally, looking into east asian flower arranging might just be interesting for the sake of interest. I get videos on the subject occasionally on my social medias variously, and they are always so expressive, unique, and sometimes almost at odds with the materials they start with!
I think you’re onto something! especially about how differently flowers are framed across cultural contexts. It challenges the assumption that deviation from symmetry or polish is inherently subversive or new, when in reality it may be rooted in a completely different philosophy and/or cultural practice.
I also like your point about flowers not being inherently passive. In a lot of Western symbolism, they’re often tied to fragility, romance, or decoration. But clearly thats not universal?
At the same time, I wonder if what we’re seeing now is less a direct continuation of those traditions and more a kind of reinterpretation (or even appropriation, lets call it for what it is) filtered through global fashion systems. I think that while the visual parallels are there, the intent or meaning might not always carry over in the same way…
Either way, flowers, floral arrangements, florist artistry add depth to the conversation and feel like part of a much bigger dialogue about how we relate to nature, structure, and expression
There is *for sure* a whole dissertation on the use of flowers in art in different cultures baked into this topic. Thanks for responding with such a thoughtful reply! :)
I'll start the ball rolling... I love Demon Slayer, and I think the most stylish character in that anime is no other than super villain Muzan Kibutsuji. He has lived for hundreds of years, embodying different characters and genders throughout but his fashion never wavered.. Sharp suits and tailoring.
I loveeee Demon Slayer! Just watched the Infinity Castle movie at the start of the year and it was epic! I also like how they mixed traditional attire with more modern silhouettes as the series progressed and time periods evolved
As far as flowers go, I think we can see their greater inclusion as statement within the realm of fashion to potentially be another aspect of the "east asian" wave that's washed over western fashion in the last half decade or so. Some of what you describe as being undone, unusual, etc, is part of a flower arranging tradition that has been a part of, at the very least, japanese culture for a very long time. The view of flowers as passive is, in my opinion, much a western perspective on the matter. Generally, looking into east asian flower arranging might just be interesting for the sake of interest. I get videos on the subject occasionally on my social medias variously, and they are always so expressive, unique, and sometimes almost at odds with the materials they start with!
I think you’re onto something! especially about how differently flowers are framed across cultural contexts. It challenges the assumption that deviation from symmetry or polish is inherently subversive or new, when in reality it may be rooted in a completely different philosophy and/or cultural practice.
I also like your point about flowers not being inherently passive. In a lot of Western symbolism, they’re often tied to fragility, romance, or decoration. But clearly thats not universal?
At the same time, I wonder if what we’re seeing now is less a direct continuation of those traditions and more a kind of reinterpretation (or even appropriation, lets call it for what it is) filtered through global fashion systems. I think that while the visual parallels are there, the intent or meaning might not always carry over in the same way…
Either way, flowers, floral arrangements, florist artistry add depth to the conversation and feel like part of a much bigger dialogue about how we relate to nature, structure, and expression
There is *for sure* a whole dissertation on the use of flowers in art in different cultures baked into this topic. Thanks for responding with such a thoughtful reply! :)
If you come across anything further reading on this let me know, I’d love to dive into it!