If It Isn't Baroque, Don't Fix It

Abstract

<p>The ensemble was based on the contrast of Chinese adoption of exotic French Baroque influence and at the same time, France's adoption of China's influence in the visual and decorative arts during the 18th century. Both cultures exchanged and adopted ideas simultaneously because of the vast influence of the trade route of theSilk Road, between Asia and Europe. The designers' purpose was to create an ensemble reflecting this influence using a mixture of traditional interior design and fashion textiles. This also includes incorporating old world textile and surface techniques while making the garment relevant and representative visually of high fashion. This ensemble was created with tea dyed burlap, a hand painted and stenciled textile print, and hand needle felting for the butterfly embellishment. Old world methods of textile development in tea dying, felting, and stenciling were used to represent the traditional ways of working in contrast with the change of a younger more whimsical approach to design.</p>