about

The Asian Fashion Archive is a digital resource project highlighting Asian fashion, culture, and history. 

One of the main reasons why I started the Asian Fashion Archive was due to the anti-Asian racism I experienced and witnessed in 2020. I felt very angry and alone. During this time, I was also finishing up graduate school, studying the cultural and historical relationship between the East and the West, with a focus on fashion and art. However, the more I read and studied, the more frustrated I grew with the ongoing negative portrayals, narratives, and stereotypes of Asian people and cultures and the lack of Asian representation in Western fashion and media.

Using my ten-plus years of professional and academic experience in fashion and the arts,  I aim to explore and celebrate a diverse range of Asian stories in positive, educational, and empowering ways. Through this digital project, I wish to amplify and share unique aspects of Asian experiences to communities worldwide.

The Asian Fashion Archive is more than just a digital humanities project, but has become a community for like-minded individuals who share a passion for Asian culture and fashion. I encourage any engagement and sharing of comments, thoughts, or feedback, so this project can grow into a more dynamic one.

-Faith Cooper 

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Header Image: Model walking on fashion runway in front of audience, Vancouver, 1959

Source: City of Vancouver Archives