unWANTed

This collection was inspired by this process of finding a balance of identity. However, the initial spark came from researching textile waste exporting and importing practices that affected my family’s home country. I felt guilty over the country where I was raised in poor consumerism practices that have consequences in the country my family lives on the other side of the world. Through a case study of Panipat, India I was able to understand the extent to which the clothes in the west were essentially recolonizing the land of India and other countries all around the world, specifically in the global south. This led me to think about the ways in which clothes are made, worn, and preserved in my Indian culture versus how they are made, worn, and disposed of in my American culture. My collection began by analyzing Indian textiles, colors, and clothing silhouettes through childhood photos as well as my mom’s archival closet of Indian clothes in our basement. From here I was able to think about the differences in preservation of clothing and textiles and how that reflects in two different cultures. I used textiles, all sourced second and third hand, in combination with silhouettes to create a metaphor of cohesion between contrasting cultures.