Ikat Culture

This weekend I'll be heading back to my American roots known as Minnesota. Minneapolis, to be exact. Brooklyn park to take you totally off the map if you have never heard of the small city right outside of the bigger city. Back to my long lost family who's been extending their own roots making their own families. Long lost because it feels like forever since I've been back.

This post I want to celebrate my roots in relation to going back home to my family and being amongst my culture by taking it back a little further to Laos where I was born to connect you to my outfit here. There has been a lot Ikat prints seen lately in fashion trends. My Ikat cropped jacket is made from a cloth woven in Laos that my mom brought back from her trip to the home country. I asked to have it because I loved the print so much and I wanted to make something modern out of the traditional print that I hadn't seen used out of that context. Last weekend I was shopping in downtown Los Angeles for fabrics and came across all of these amazing Ikat prints reminiscent to the prints I've seen from my cultural clothing throughout my upbringing. I thought of my mom and how she would love them too since whenever she wanted traditional clothes for us or herself she'd have to make a trip to Laos which was always expensive to do in the end of it all.

Of course I cannot pass through this blog without giving some details of my other lovely pieces to the outfit that I also made. The printed satin tank top underneath the jacket has metallic straps across the back to give it a fun detail. The pleated mullet skirt has extreme lengths from thigh high length in front to sweeping the ground in the back adding drama (see through fabric for a little bit more drama). What do you wear under a see through skirt but a high waisted comfy short shorts. Even more drama!

accessories: knitted cap; urban outfitters, knee highs; zara, wedges; bakers shoes
outfit photos: Katie Ralston