"Un.ad.dress.ed enough"
In a world where cultural appropriation is ever so prevalent in today’s society, I wanted to join the conversation by exploring misrepresentation of traditional dresses of my motherland, Eastern Asia: Chinese Qipao, Japanese Kimono, and Korean Hanbok in the American and European fashion industry. By comparing and contrasting instances of appropriation and appreciation of traditional dresses, I hope that people understand the importance, respect, and weight of wearing clothes of cultures one does not identify, especially to avoid misrepresentation and malice of natives. In relation to my research paper, I created a two piece ensemble consisting of a traditional Chinese Qipao top and a hand painted circle skirt. Depicted on the skirt are phoenixes, an iconic Chinese symbol representing the yin and female, being shot by arrows surrounded by raging fires, to illustrate the pain of having my culture’s fashion being appropriated.
Research paper available to view upon request.
**ALL PHOTOS AND DESIGNS ARE OWNED BY CLAIRE HUANG.
PLAGIARISM/STEALING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.**
Cropped Qipao and Circle Skirt
Cropped Qipao
Circle Skirt
Research and process
Supplementing my research paper, The Unaddressed Cultural Appropriation of East Asian Traditional Dresses, I created an ensemble that comprises of the Chinese Qipao and a circle skirt. To avoid simply replicating just a traditional Qipao, I cropped and fitted it for a more modern finish. To address and illustrate the mistreatment and pain "cultural appropriation" evokes, I hand-drawn Chinese phoenixes being shot down by arrows, engulfed by flames.
I first started with a simple circle skirt pattern and then illustrated on the silk with fabric paint and pens. After sealing the illustration with spray, I self-lined the skirt for a more structured silhouette and finished the waistband and hem. For the Qipao, I cut silk brocade diagonally across for the iconic asymmetrical yoke using a crop top pattern. Then after cutting the collars and sleeves, I finished all necessary edges with bias tape and assembled. For the finishing touch, I hand-sewn off-white frog closures.
Final illustration and flats
credits
designer/photographer: claire huang
model: enya hung