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Promoting a sustainable traditional textile in contemporary daily fashion
XYS RTW Collection

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XYS Collection is a thesis project and was inspired by the period of Industrial Revolution. The thesis explores how xiang-yun-sha (traditional mud silk) can help reinforce sustainable fashion and cultural value in designers. Xiang-yun-sha is a two-toned natural silk fabric originating in the Lingnan region of Guangdong, China and dyed using the mud from the Pearl Delta River and a yam called shu-liang. Since the 1980s, the number of manufacturers of xiang-yun-sha has declined from five hundred to less than ten factories due to the rise of mass production. Nowadays, people like to associate xiang-yun-sha with outdated fashion because it was commonly used to make traditional Chinese garments worn mostly by elders.  Over time, xiang-yun-sha lost attention and became unknown to new generations. The authentic xiang-yun-sha is durable and does not involve any synthetic fiber or toxic chemicals so it lends itself to sustainable fashion. This project remarkets the image of mud silk and promotes its sustainable and cultural value to younger audiences through a youthful contemporary ready-to-wear collection targeting women age twenty to thirty-five.

Traditional Mud Silk in Contemporary Fashion

Special thanks to mentors Susan T. Avila and Susan Abplanalp. 

Note: All garments are designed and constructed by Fusi

to learn more of the research.

Photos provided by Xiang Yun Sha Museum
XYS Process 4.jpg
XYS Process 2.jpg

Work In Progress

Initial Sketches

XYS Process 1.jpg
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