before
Origin Story
Since globalization and the mass production of (fast) fashion, companies have normalized offshore manufacturing for cheap labour that exploit skilled garment workers. It’s been a major issue in the fashion industry, along with the constant output of low quality and unsustainable clothing which encourages overconsumption and contributes to our throwaway lifestyle/waste society.
With this white shirt from SHEIN, I wanted to (re)transform it into traditional clothing from where it was made - in China - to emphasize who/where the people are that make our clothes. The qipao/cheongsam reminds us of the original culture of the garment workers, but also contrasts the unedited shirt to communicate the dominant western influence in global fashion as a consequence of colonialism and imperialist structures.
_ see the process _
“Money, Fashion, Power” in Chinese Calligraphy by Kaman Lu
digital art; inkjet printed and transferred with gloss.
digital art; inkjet printed and transferred with gloss.