discussing maximalism vs minimalism

after publishing my survey, i had a very interesting discussion with my friend (mori) regarding the evolution of design and how it's apparent that it's slowly becoming more and more uniform by becoming minimalist.

they argued that the very essence of minimalism is rooted in racism. cultural and traditional designs are maximalist in nature. they are bold, flashy and intricate, yet it's considered tacky by the western world. furniture, apparel and artwork produced in non-western countries have been ridiculed over and over for their use of bright colours and attention to detail. western designs are seen as 'modern', which in itself tries to paint other countries as being backwards and inferior in nature.

i find that western culture has prioritised quick consumerism e.g. fast fashion, and simple logos where 'culture' is bought. due to the nature of clothes being being mass made, things change often to meet 'modern thinking', encouraging the disposal of old clothes and the purchasing of the new.

in comparison, abayas in my family were handmade and tailored by relatives, they were created with the person in mind, and measurements were always taken. things were personalised; little beads and stitching, length and extra additions. these would last years upon years, challenging the notion of considering clothes disposable.

following this, i had another discussions with my friend (ploy), who also shared similar views and agreed that it was rooted in racism. they also shared two videos surrounding the topic, which i have embedded here.

in this manner, we can see that there are a myriad of concerns surrounding minimalist culture.

hybrid forms: research

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