a hybridity of beauty
FAE DYNASTY ameliorates the dissonance between two different cultural ideals of beauty: traditional imperial chinese dress & western high fantasy.
designer’s statement
“with FAE DYNASTY, i aim to explore the simultaneously ambiguous and beautiful third space born out of the hybridity of two cultures. this collection is a tribute to my navigation of the discrepancy between my experiences as the daughter of both chinese immigrants and white suburban america. With an amalgamation of high collars, heavy embroidery, puffed sleeves, and jade hairpieces, FAE DYNASTY incorporates fundamental aspects of both Western high-fantasy and imperial Chinese court fashion to create a cultural third space for immigrants who find beauty in both the culture of their homeland as well as their new country.”
an interview with the designer
by mandana vakil
“Where is the magic of the past in the fashion world today? Amidst the rush towards more wearable street fashion and athleisure, the mystical princess dresses from royal European and imperial Chinese and Russian courts have been left in the past or relegated to occasions few and far between. “
the designs
FAE DYNASTY plays with the idea of traditional narratives by employing three classical fantasy archetypes: the traveller, the warrior, and the royal.