Comments on: 348. Dear Christian Dior, your Shanghai Dreamers campaign is bromidic, lame, and example 253284293847289 of Orientalism, and we’re supposed to find it brave and exciting and new?

By: True Activism Missing In Asian American Fashion Designers | Business | 8Asians.com

Fri, 06 May 2011 19:02:14 +0000

[...] giveths the devil his due), read more commentary about the “Shanghai Dreamers” campaign from Jenny Z. of Fashion For Writers, Madeleine O’Dea of ArtInfo China, or Tom Lasseter of China Rises. Lasseter’s piece [...]

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:24:05 +0000

I commented on this article on Jezebel but I didn’t realize that you had your own blog.

THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU

much loves.

By: catherine_sr

catherine_sr — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:44:37 +0000

Jenny, I’m absolutely fascinated by your post and the ensuing debate in the comments section.

Re: “I don’t think anyone in my family in China or even my parents who have lived in America for 20 years would be familiar with the stereotype of ‘all looks the same.’ I don’t know why Asians of my generation are hyper aware of this and Asians in Asia, first generation Asians are not aware or bothered at all.”

This is something that caught me off-guard when I first moved to Taiwan. In hindsight, it is completely naive that I assumed people who grew up as part of a racial majority would have the same understanding of discrimination and racism that I do, but I was genuinely startled when I realized that many people here don’t understand concepts like “you all look the same,” “Asian fetish” or “white privilege.” I had to break it down for them: what these things are, how they are grounded in a long history of institutionalized racism and, finally, why they are hurtful. In doing so (and in defending myself against people who don’t think these things are “such a big deal”), I began to understand the impact racism in all its permutations (from being told I should wear eyeliner so I’ll look “even more exotic” to being mistaken for my co-worker who weighed 20 pounds less than me and had a completely different haircut to having slurs screamed at me on the street) has had on all aspects of my identity. It’s difficult to accept. I would like to believe that I have an autonomous sense of self that hasn’t been shaped by people who dehumanize me, but that isn’t true.

My gut instinct when I look at the Dior campaign is similar to yours — outrage informed by my firsthand experience with racism, as well as my understanding of Orientalism. On the other hand, I can also understand why this would not offend an Asian audience and why they would be attracted to it. Another thing I realized when I read the above comments is that if these were art pieces independently created by Quentin Shih to express his artistic POV and not to sell expensive dresses, I would actually enjoy looking at the photos and pondering their meaning. The context being what it is, however, I’m stuck slamming my head into my desk.

Anyway, I know I’m very late to this conversation, but just wanted to add my two cents!

By: Shanghai Dreamers | The Grumpy Owl

Shanghai Dreamers | The Grumpy Owl — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:58:24 +0000

[...] some debate about whether the Christian Dior ad campaign Shanghai Dreamers is racist. It depicts tall white models against a background of “identical maoist [...]

By: Nicolas

Nicolas — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:55:18 +0000

Wouldn’t seem as if the western woman is the minority. In this case, the minority is praised and individualized. The project is based in Shanghai, ironically following Chanel’s Shanghai campaign which predominately consisted of Chinese women in the runway show. Unfortunately not everything can be integrated and I believe many people are over analyzing the intent of these ‘artists’. On the other hand, the oriental culture has been used as an accessory to the higher fashion (western clientele).
Subsequently, more than half the apparel market is produced in China and Japan. What is it, 70%? I am seventeen years old and have little to no knowledge in the ‘business’ part of the fashionable, yes, fashionable industry. What uproars occur when Dior collections are influenced by African cultures? Very vibrant, and rich in culture. But it isn’t overemphasized with a plethora of imported African models.
Imagine yourself during the editing process of these photos, one model (the girl or boy who look like a part of any other working class Asian,) is reproduced into a staged collection. Look at the positioning of the elegantly dressed white woman, she isn’t in the center suggesting dominance, she is on the far left, the far right. Just another person, in a society that is very different, celebrating her differences. But being overly decadent, garish, is suggestively pompous; just like every culture in the world.
When something is different, an uproar occurs, someone will have something negative to say. Yet we are blind to it in our own neighborhoods and don’t realize it until it hits a mass market. It’s the intent of the people with the fat wallets, not the intent of the people with a particular skin color.

By: Jenny Z.

Jenny Z. — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:03:59 +0000

Mad love, right back at ya.

By: Jenny Z.

Jenny Z. — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:03:43 +0000

Thank you so much!

By: Jenny Z.

Jenny Z. — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:01:26 +0000

Yes, everyone’s reaction to art should be totally impersonal. I mean I never understood why any African American would ever feel uncomfortable watching D.W. Griffith’s ‘Birth of a Nation.’ Just because it glorifies white supremacy and advocated for the heroism of the KKK? Or why did anyone ever cry during ‘Schindler’s List?’ Just because they were personally affected? Some people, me included, just take things too personally.

Thanks for the insight, dude.

By: Jenny Z.

Jenny Z. — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:52:22 +0000

Thank you Minh-ha! You’re my fashion critiquing idol…

By: Jenny Z.

Jenny Z. — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:51:40 +0000

Big hugs right back! You and Minh-ha write the kind of articles I aspire to write. There’s so much I left out and rushed!