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In that light, she thinks about melding the Hmong experience with other global historical experiences. Too many Hmong and American fashion designers still offer limited options beyond a size 8, a cutoff that does not include the average American woman (who wears a “mid-size,” from 10 to 14). Yang feels passionate enough about the discriminatory practice that she decided to make her senior project, Utopia, a celebration of size inclusivity. She said she was the only designer in her graduating class at St. Kate’s to do so. The 1970s marked the persecution of her Hmong family in the “Secret War” in Laos, also known as the Laotian Civil War, when tens of thousands of Hmong people were displaced, killed, or disappeared.
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To save their written language, Hmong women turned the script into motifs or symbols hidden in the pleated skirts of the Blue/Green Hmong. Over time, the motifs lost their meaning, but they remained important symbols of Hmong identity. In the refugee camps, everyone had more time than they once did in Laos, so story cloths were not exclusively sewn by Hmong women and girls, but men also helped. Some men became artists who drew the stories, while others learned to sew story cloths as well. Folktales are popular embroidered stories including the Hmong creation story, Nou Nplai and Yer; the birth of Jesus Christ; and many others. Hmong fabrics are renowned across the world; thanks to their rich colours and intricate designs.
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There was little opportunity to make money, so the women used their embroidery skills to earn income to support their families. On the story cloths, the women depicted the war experience through embroidery needlework, and similarly the village life that the Hmong were once familiar with when they lived in Laos. The squares normally found on the qua sev, a belt that is traditionally worn on the Hmong women’s waist with Hmong clothes, were also adapted to larger sizes. These oversize squares were transformed into tablecloths, pillowcases, and wall decorations.
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Even though each group of Hmong have their own unique clothing items, they share common articles in their attire. Formal Hmong clothes are worn at celebrations like the New Year, weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies, and other important ritual events. Traditionally, Hmong embroidery was made exclusively by women to provide clothing for themselves, their husbands, and family members. They also embroidered baby carriers and funerary textiles like clothing and pillow casing for the deceased.
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A new method of embroidery in which simple motifs generally describe daily life. It is understood that this is a new method designed by overseas Hmongs who resided in refugee camps in Thailand while waiting to travel to third countries because this method does not exist in traditional clothing. Visit this website dedicated to Hmong Embroidery for pictures of this specific method. Story cloths emerged out of necessity to bring income to support Hmong families in the refugee camps after surviving the Secret War. Through this new art form, Hmong women, children, and men transformed Hmong oral traditions into visual narratives by telling their stories on cloths.
The only time she had to sew were late nights or during the limited breaks she could find between her other responsibilities. Here is a selection of four-star and five-star reviews from customers who were delighted with the products they found in this category. In the 21st century, there are Hmong people living across the world; including Australia, France and the US. For advertising information, contact Sally Waterman, director of advertising and sponsorship, at . “For instance, I think about the European Renaissance, and I wonder what a Hmong person would have worn during this time,” Yang said. And yet, some painful truths about the American fashion industry also drive Yang.
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Hmong women don’t have the time to make embroidery as they once did in Laos. It is more convenient to purchase machine-made Hmong attire at the flea market or the supermarket. There are many new styles of Hmong attire, which do not resemble the regional Hmong clothes from the provinces of Laos. At the present time, many Hmong girls don’t have the time and/or opportunity to learn how to make paj ntaub as their elders once did. Many elders do not have time to teach these traditions to their grandchildren.
In China, Southeast Asia, and other parts of the world, Hmong embroidery is passed down from mothers to daughters as young as five or six years old. In Laos, the skills these young girls acquired made them valuable to potential suitors because the expectation was for them to know how to sew clothes for themselves and their family members. Kachia Lee is another Minnesota-based Hmong American fashion designer and a friend of Yang’s. She said that many designers can fall into a habit of designing clothes “for themselves,” or for people like them. Yang is different because she strives to make clothes for everybody. “Since no two pieces of Hmong fabric are identical, every Sapa quilted item is absolutely unique!
There are complex embroidery techniques used by Hmong women to make clothes and other decorative items. The main techniques are appliqué, reverse appliqué, batik, chain stitch, cross stitch, embroidery, and story cloth stitchery. The table below gives a brief description of what each technique is and examples for reference. You’ll often spot Hmong people in travel brochures, Asian fashion edits and publicity material – due to their iconic, vibrant clothing. Traditional Hmong garments, worn by people across the world, feature complex patterns, embroidery, indigo batik and bright, eye-catching colours; and they’ve been inspiring travellers and fashion-followers alike for years. With at least 4,500 years of traceable oral history, the Hmong people have been living in Northern Vietnam for as long as written Vietnamese records.
It was the precursor to her family’s refugee status in Minnesota, and far too personal for Yang. Her family did not spend the ‘70s enjoying the decade’s American advances toward progressivism, liberty, and sexual revolution. Hmong elders also share that their ancestors call it the Flower Cloth because the embroidery patterns resemble how the petals of a flower stem out evenly from its center.
Yang recounts the day that she went prom dress shopping, for example. Instead, she said, the experience left many of her friends in tears. But she is interested in each Hmong population, and hopes to one day incorporate symbols from each into her designs. A year or so into her career, Yang has brought her vision to running a small business, Jocii Designs, which features jewelry and accessories creations.
All quilt products from Mekong Quilts’ Sapa series can be machine-washed safely, but a maximum water temperature of 30°C is recommended. Just like jeans dyed with natural indigo dye, quilt products that incorporate Hmong fabric are very durable but can fade if not treated with care. Since its founding, Mekong Quilts has worked with local fabric designers in Vietnam and Cambodia to bring timeless, traditional motifs and illustrations to the homes of valued customers. Many of these quilt designs draw inspiration from imagery derived from local customs and everyday scenes. We are offering a workshop that requires very little equipment and is accessible to beginners. Each kit includes all the material you need to complete your project, an e-booklet and an online self-paced class.
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