Showing Up in the ‘Capital City of Italian Culture’...Palermo

I’ve been working on a research proposal for a while and with the encouragement of one of my professors I submitted it to Progressive Connexions Fashion and Photography Conference back in April. Needless to say, I was one out of hundreds of submissions that was asked to speak at the conference and present my researched topic. Did I mention that the conference would be held in Palermo Italy? (Oh yes I did)! I can’t express how elated I was to receive this news, and even more ecstatic about the opportunity to showcase my scholarly interest for the first time on an international platform. As well as, represent my family, university, and home country all in the same breath with much pride and dignity.

Fast forward to June and I arrived in Palermo the day before I was scheduled to present. At this point I had edited and practiced my presentation as much as I could, and felt the need to just relax and take it easy. I mean, who in the hell would travel all this way to stress over a twenty-minute presentation? That evening a few of my colleagues and I set out for dinner and stumbled across a shop that served the most delicious gelato, while taking in the spirit of the city night.

Pistachio on the bottom and wild berry on top...delicious combination of flavors. @Brioscià Gelato

The morning of, I remained as calm as a cucumber and focused on the task at hand. Lights, camera, action…I was sharing my point of view with professors, scholars, researchers, and historians.

Economic and cultural globalization, in the 21st century, has ushered in extreme awareness in almost every aspect of identity. For centuries, fashion has become the easiest and greatest catalyst of self-expression. What is most intriguing, is the ongoing immense pressure for individuals to quickly find their self-identities and voices in an ever changing global society. The presentation took a more in depth view in discussing globalization and cultural flows, belonging-in-difference, the influence of global media through our fashion choices, and fashions contribution to the global ethno-scape.

First international presentation sharing my point of view on the flow of culture and identity through fashion.

It was such an amazing feeling that, I didn’t realize it until I was done and hands were clapping. At that moment I felt that I had left the most fulfilling impression on myself, through research and having the opportunity to share my point of view. I consider this research to be an on-going on. But, the importance of it rest on finding out ethno-cultural positions, and why it is so crucial for the continued evolution of the fashion industry. As the world continues to shift, individuals are not expected to express themselves through one type of fashion. Instead, adapting entails a combination of ethno-scape and orientalism as part of our ‘everyday’ wardrobe. This research will show how the fashion industry is in itself crossing borders to offer ‘new’ fashions for the world to wear. It is important for individuals to maintain some part of their ethnic-identity when crossing borders, and I endeavor to understand the depths and extent individuals go to. As well as discover the limitations and restrictions that can occur.

The second day was filled with more knowledge and enthusiasm for all those present to absorb. By this time, we were all a little bit more comfortable with each other; asking questions, exchanging thoughts, and calling it a great time!

The two-day conference was nothing short of an amazing experience that I will never forget. All presenters did such an amazing job (more pics below), that I think we all left with more knowledge than what we arrived with. Which is part of the point, right? What was also apparent was that although our topics were very different, they all carried a common thread, and that was simply hope and transformation. Hope that our world today will be transformed into something better in the very near future whether its through fashion, art, photography, etc.

It is my intention to have another proposal ready to submit for next year. Until then…