Does “chalga” fashion exist?

Lubomir Stoykov – Editor-in-chief of “Fashion Lifestyle Magazine”

Lubomir Stoykov

Recently I was asked in an interview “Does chalga fashion exist in Bulgaria?”. What is the possible answer of such a question? First, the longing for saying “Such nonsense” appears. Or you want to say: “It’s such a shame - chalga to become fashion”…But that’s the first impulse. If we have to be honest, in Bulgaria (and everywhere abroad) there are so many fashion styles and I don’t mind the term “chalga fashion”. Like any other social and cultural event, chalga as a music style has got through different phases and the singers also have transformed their style and way of dressing. The term “chalga” was civilized and the transformation has got through “neofolk” and “popfolk” to reach the classic “folk”. Together with chalga and songs like “Kamunite padat” and “Radka piratka” we were witnesses to a drastic, vulgar, dirty and roughly erotic style which was very obtrusive. Its goal was cynical: everything to be shown, everything to be sold and some of the singers looked more like prostitutes and desperate owners of brothels than modern, attractive and sexy performers. Gradually their image, styling and public look started to refine as a result of complex influence – public opinion, media, producers, image makers, stylists, designers – and of course – the increasing competition.

We can’t deny the fact that since the last years the singers started to pay more attention to their outlook, searching for aesthetic and elegancy. They started to work with consultants and styling-specialist to whom that pay a lot of money. Most of them look like the pop icons from VH – 1 and MTV. If we also mention the social, cultural and humane commitment of some of the singers – I will point at random Gloria and Reni – we can note some distinct positive changes toward more culture and less non-culture, more aesthetics and less vulgarity. And that’s normal, because the “chalga” style is no more cursed, it has turned into folk and it will develop professionally and culturally. The problem about the impact of popfolk over the contemporary fashion, giving it more ethno look, ease and eclectic difference, is another story. We will tell about it another time.

Read: 100137 times                                                  © Fashion Lifestyle Magazine, issue 7, February 2008