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What do your
clothes “say” about you?
… a fantastic form of
sign language!
Fashion
"language" is a visual means of communicating, …so is sign
language.
Sign language use facial
expression, gestures and body language.
Fashion, on the other hand has become a universal language.
Sign language use facial
expression, gestures and body language. It is mainly used by
people who are deaf and have hearing impairment. Many people
think sign language is a universal language. While this is
partially true (when it gets to lettering the alphabet), there
are regional variation that can be thought of as regional
accents.
-
· Alexander
Graham Bell succeeded in teaching his deaf wife to speak and
lip read. This success made Bell a vocal proponent of
Oralism (the Oralist method) -
Sign
Language is not seen by followers hereof as a true language.
-
·
His opponent Edward Miner Gallaudet advocated for a
different approach. Gallaudet and others believed that
American Sign Language is the native language of the deaf.
It is a viable and vital form of communication. This is
mainly done by spelling words using one hand.
www.wikipedia.com
The British use both hands, and
was South Africa’s preferred way of deaf communication during
the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. With television and the internet came
exposure to the American spelling form which is lettering (using
one hand). By the mid 1970s educators began challenging the
“oralist web” of education and teachers gradually began to agree
that no one educational method is right for all deaf children.
Fashion, on the other hand has
become a universal language. It used to be regional and was
never seen as a science nor as a language. The fact today is:
clothes ARE a language in its own right, but it could also be
regional, be English, be American. We (designers) use colour,
texture, and silhouettes to express emotion, provoke reaction,
and tell stories. You can therefor choose to belong to a
certain “group” by wearing certain clothes. But why should
South Africans be “Americanised” or be “Brittished”? Why do we
not stay South African? …Be on the lookout for my book on
this fantastic subject, available soon….
In the meantime, I humbly
suggest: remain individual, seek what suits you best from a
multitude of available styles, and shine! Say exactly what you
want to say… The South African way!
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“You may ask why? Both my
parents were deaf, and as a child I experienced a language (sign
language) that is pure, strongly based on body language and
visual expression. With little words in a sentence you could
describe a lifetime of stories. Today, in fashion, I utilize
that experience, let my gowns speak in a voice that cannot be
heard, but seen. All I can say is WoW! What a privilege!”
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