Communist Chic

I came across this article from the March Travel section of The New York Times which talks about a brand of sneakers that resembles the style from communist era.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/travel/08forage.html?scp=6&sq=berlin&st=cse

"Zeha sneakers" was a line of atheltic shoes from East Germany that ceased production in the early 1990s, and now the style has come back into style. For those who grew up in Berlin when there was still a East Berlin, "ostalgie" has made communist designs in clothing and accessories popular again.





(Ostalgie: a German term referring to nostalgia for life in the former East Germany. It is a portmanteau of the German words Ost (east) and Nostalgie (nostalgia)(Wikipedia))

I find this interesting, because for a while a couple of years ago, I think I had a thing... an unexplainable attraction... towards clothing styles and accessories that looked "communist." I think it all started with an olive green messenger bag my dad got me for a present from China. It was a new bag of course, but the worn look and the "communist green" color looked like something out of the Chinese TV series glorifying the communist party as they chased the nationalists out. And I looked good with it on. Then I bought a long green coat, and other "communist style accessories" followed. I also remember at the time that many people were wearing Che Guevara shirts. But I drew my line at the red star. My aunt, knowing my interest in that style, bought me a chinese winter hat, but I couldn't accept.




But I guess the Communist style in clothing design is coming back:


http://www.trenddelacreme.com/2008/11/rise-of-communist-chic.html

And becoming quite contraversial:



Cameron Diaz apparently offended Peru residents when she visited Inca city with her olive green messenger bag emblazoned with a red star - and "serve the people" printed in Chinese. While it may be fashionable in the U.S. (I've seen those bags on campus) it was offensive to locals. To the people of Peru, the bag symbolized and idealogy that brought in a campaign of massacres, assasinations and bombings in the 1980s.

"Communist Fashion: CHIC or IGNORANCE?"



http://drnojb.blogspot.com/2007/06/why-is-it-chic-to-wear-commies-style.html