Inspired by Peter Frankopan’s The Silk Roads, I created a two-piece fashion series depicting the implications of exported goods of the two selected countries, China and England.
ENGLAND
The overall design mimics Queen Elizabeth’s iconic lace collar. In my paper cutting rendition of her garment, I embedded images regarding England’s exported and imported goods within the global network. Frankopan describes the silk roads as not only an ancient trading network but also as a modern network that exchanges ideas, events, people, and goods.
In this specific design, I included references to the crusade, piracy, weapon manufacturing, British imperialism in India, conflict over oil, the opium wars, and slavery. The action of wearing these events on a garment both consumes and decorates the wearer providing a commentary on the benefits the England had to gain from its bloody history.
CHINA
Kaitlyn Fong 
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