If you’ve been to an electronic music festival, you’ve seen them. Scarves and shawls of different shapes and sizes, vibrant designs and muted desert tones, wrapped around the heads and necks of concert goers. The rave pash has always been a thing, but it’s only now that it’s started to make its way into mainstream fashion.
This weekend, on my way to German House music collective Keinemusik ‘s first performance in India with their full lineup comprising of Rampa, &ME, and Adam Port, I frantically tried to get scarf tied around my head right in the car. A sea of men and women in multi-coloured silk scarves draped on their heads, crowded on the highway outside – trying to get ahead of the traffic and Mumbai heat on foot. All this and we hadn’t even stepped into the concert stadium at Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Inside, the scarves doubled and quadrupled in number, as did the vibrance of the designs and the people wearing them. A simple silk scarf tied under the chin is something we’ve seen many a Hollywood celebrity do over the years – right from Audrey Hepburn to ASAP Rocky and Rihanna.
The reason for this particular concert however, is the worldwide culture trend that began with artist &ME repping the headscarf over his cap. Eventually, it became a brand identity for the Berlin-based crew and was amplified across fans of the Keinemusik community. Paired with sunglasses, caps and simply as is over the heads – the headscarf today is part of the Keinemusik aesthetic, largely as a fashion accessory. That being said, the headscarf or rave pash has been a rave staple in electronic music for far longer and for more practical reasons. Here we decode the chokehold this simple piece of cloth holds with music festival goers across the world and why it may just be more than a fashion accessory.
What is the rave pash?
The rave pash or rave pashmina emerged as a mainstay in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene in early 2011 – 2010 as a fashion accessory, and as an essential for concert functionality. As the name suggests it refers to the Pashmina – or cashmere scarves known to come from the Himalayas. While, when it comes to concerts and music festivals the rave pashes are usually not authentic pashminas but more affordable alternatives. These shawls and scarves are tied and stylized around the heads of ravers as a form of style and expression and also as a practical ‘security blanket’ for the high stimulation festival environments.
The ‘security blanket’ or the “Swiss Army knife”
As a frequenter of music festivals, the ‘rave pash’ is an essential in my concert wardrobe. Yes, they definitely look cool and add to heightening any look with their added fashion aesthetics- but the reason it’s a staple is for its more functional benefits.
Also referred to as a ‘security blanket’ or the ‘swiss army knife’ of music festivals – the rave pash is a multi-utility piece of clothing. It can be used to protect your face from heavy dust kicked up by dancing, doubling up as a mask at times, and can also be used to protect your ears and head from colder rave environments while in hostile areas like forest festivals and dessert raves.
Most importantly, is the protective space it can become in an otherwise highly stimulating environment. A makeshift cocoon around your head to provide shelter from loud noises, bright lights, smoke and too many people – the rave pash can double up as a subliminal layer to compartmentalise. Pashminas are used as blankets for sitting, improvisational pillows, and masks, making them the most practical a concert essential for occasions throughout a festival day.
Function and fashion
There are no rules to how a rave pash must look or feel. It can be as simple as your mother’s old shawl which she gave you to keep you warm on a flight, or a piece of clothing you converted to a scarf. There are multiple ways to tie it and style it, and it can be as colourful as you want it to be. They can be worn as capes, hoods, headwraps, or tied as tops and skirts, a quick low effort and stylish outfit addition.
Many use the rave pash as the ultimate form of fashion expression with prints they relate to or even with the use of techniques, nets and textiles that they resonate with and want to platform for the occasion. Here, the artisanal relevance of pashmina isn’t lost with many who choose the authentic wool for festivals as well. Sustainable and fashionable today for Gen Z and millennials alike the rave pash is quickly becoming the hottest fashion accessory for raves. The rave pash is the new boho chic for music festivals.
This story first appeared here.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.