Blue Ants ናይ ክዳውንቲ እኩብ ስራሓት

Press Kit

Unique Properties

This project focuses on fashion and textile design using old clothes transformation, cyanotype photography and laser cutting. The designer hopes to connect the unique political function of clothing and break the stereotypes of the old times. In terms of materials, the designer has tried a variety of interdisciplinary textile design methods, striving to design clothing that is both environmentally friendly and fashionable.

Dimensions & Packaging

Variable sizes

Tags

Fashion, Textile, Sustainable, Cyanotype, Design

Production Technology

All the redesigned dark blue fabrics in this project come from the old blue overalls during the Cultural Revolution. In addition, this project also used food stamps that were exclusive during the Cultural Revolution period to develop my design because the patterns and curves on them to be quite beautiful and attractive. Moreover,the laser-cut fabric has both a two-dimensional and three-dimensional transformation effect that follows the undulations and curves of the body.
In addition, in order to restore the sense of time during the Cultural Revolution and maintain the concept of sustainability, the prints in the Blue ants are all done using cyanotype photography. The traditional printing machine is replaced by sunlight to produce a unique printing and dyeing effect.

Design Challenge

Laser cutting was the hardest part of this project as it is challenging to find a suitable fabric. Because some fabrics are too soft to reveal the cut graphics, while others are too hard to make clothes.

Research

This project was integrated the printing methods of visual communication design, cyanotype photography, and other techniques to complete my fabrics. The project also used a projector to assist me in the design of the silhouette. The designer intended to twist and bind the classic silhouette of blue overallsto disrupt the Cultural Revolution when everyone wore the same clothing.

Inspiration

Blue ants, was inspired by the famous historical event in China, the "Cultural Revolution". During this decade, people regardless of gender and age, completely spontaneously wore uniform blue overalls, so they were called “blue ants” by people in other countries. During this decade, clothing no longer only has the function of keeping warm, but has completely become a political tools of fanaticism and blind obedience.

Project Duration

The project started in January 2022 in Jinan,China and finished in November 2022 in Jinan,China.

Operation Flow

The laser-cut fabric has both a two-dimensional and three-dimensional translation effect that follows the undulations and curves of the body.

Image Credits

Copyright by Yi Yin,
Image #1: Photographer Yihao Huang，2022
Image #2: Photographer Yihao Huang，2022
Image #3: Photographer Yihao Huang，2022
Image #4: Photographer Yihao Huang，2022
Image #5: Photographer Yihao Huang，2022
Model: Wenxue Meng，2022