Instagram story viewer> @kim_illo> Tagged
304
followers
181
following
Art director and illustrator in London. I am artiste 👩‍🎨
POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED
This is a bit of a personal one for me. 
Chinese and Japanese cultures and traditional dresses are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. Our traditional dresses are in fact incredibly different and unfortunately due to years of mainstream media confusing the two, it has become the norm for people to assume that there isn't a difference nor a need to respect them. 

I believe there is no real excuse these days when one can simply educate themselves with the power of Google. Refusal to actually learn the difference and make this mistake time and time again just equals racism. I understand an honest mistake and we have all been ignorant to cultures we know nothing about, but to think that countries can just be lumped together is offensive. I decided to illustrate this graphic with my pal @kim_illo because I just needed to get this off my chest!
The amount of countless Asian mashups titled Oriental, the continuous fetishizing of Asian women and racial assumptions needs to stop.

Some highlights of this: 
1. Memoirs of a Geisha casting 3 Chinese women to play all 3 lead roles directed by a White Male director named Rob Marshall. 

2 & 3. High fashion labels Carolina Herrera and Prada taking inspirations from Kimonos and Cheongsams. 

4 & 5. Katy Perry dressed up as a Geisha and Jason Derulo backed by over sexualised women in short 'kimonos' and chopsticks in their hair 

6&7. Halloween costume Google searches of 'Oriental' outfits and fast fashion brands Missguided and Boohoo culturally appropriating traditional garments and 'sexualising' them. 

My friend mentioned that maybe I should put some more facts about the dress on the graphic, I had thought about it but also thought. You know what, it isn't really my responsibility to educate everyone on this. If they are truly interested they just need to Google it. 

Sorry if I come across angry, if you can imagine generations of not only a lack of representation but when there is some form of Asian representation, its still only but a stereotype or a complete misinterpretation. Anyways rant over. 

#culturalappropriation #chinese #japanese #asian #stereotypes #misrepresentation #cheongsam #qipao #kimono #yukata #geisha
119
wrote about depression debt for @viceuk and the incredible @kim_illo illustrated moi for it ! link on my stories to read 💘💞
11
back to up