Fashion Studies Journal Special Issue: Fashion & Southeast Asia

A collaboration with Fashion & Market

Banner for Fashion Studies Journal special issue “Fashion & Southeast Asia”. Designed by Pixie Tan.

Have you read the Fashion Studies Journal special issue “Fashion & Southeast Asia”? It launched in January, and was created in collaboration with Fashion & Market. The issue documents the Southeast Asian fashion ecosystem, spanning 11 countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia, including diasporic practices. It builds on the conference Front and (Off-)Centre: Fashion and Southeast Asia, organised by The Courtauld Research Forum and Fashion & Market, which took place in May 2023.

As guest editor, I wanted the issue to explore some of the themes that emerged from the conference. Broadly, creative agency can be observed in historical and contemporary fashion practices in Southeast Asia, and we have much learning—and unlearning—about this to do. In addition, pride in local knowledge systems drives preservation, including innovation, of the traditional for the present. And most importantly, there is intentionality in creating things of lasting value.

The issue features essays from Angelene Wong, Chi Yen Ha, Esme Palaganas, Jesse Madriaga, Pixie Tan and Sharrona Valezka. There are also interviews by Lucy M P Burns and Rohaizatul Azhar. In addition, six photographers, Artu Nepomuceno, Chiron Duong, Elizabeth Kezia, Farid Renais Ghimas, Lac Hoang, and Zicky Le shared their images and image-making processes with us.

Read all the content over on the Fashion Studies Journal site. If you would prefer, you can download a specially made PDF version of the issue at the link. I hope you will enjoy it. Please write to me at nadya@fashionandmarket.net if you may have any feedback to share!