I really enjoyed this interview between one of my favorite poets, Ocean Vuong, and up-and-coming designer Peter Do. Their reflections on cultural identity (both are Vietnamese-American) and how it informs their relationship to clothing and consumer goods in general was really thought provoking for me.
(Note: the design photos included feature some nudity, so perhaps NSFW.)
https://ceromagazine.com/artic.....-is-mother
“I realized that the idea of the imposter is such a beautiful idea, the idea that someone can disguise and sneak in the back door with their head down and just do the threading work and then one day, put their head up and there's a fashion house or a book under their name. It reminds me of when you talk about repair and recycling, it reminds me of when the French and the American occupational forces left Vietnam, and we would cut the tires off of military vehicles and make sandals because the rubber was so strong. The strength and innovation of a military meant to destroy us was salvaged into footwear.“
