The Thailand Collection: addressing cultural appropriation
Over the past several months of conceiving and designing the Thailand Collection, the topic of cultural appropriation has come up multiple times. Not just from other people, but it’s something I’ve been actively thinking about, reading, researching, and discussing throughout the process to determine my role in it and the steps I can take to respectfully release this collection and do my part to give back.
I spent two weeks traveling through Thailand in January 2019. I had wanted to visit Southeast Asia for over a decade. There’s something about the vibrant colors, the deeply rooted traditions, the lush and verdant tropical climate, not to mention the bold, fresh cuisine that felt so enticing. Everything about that part of the world felt like it was so different, so exciting, so novel compared to the familiar place I called home, which perhaps was the most appealing part.
When I finally landed in the bustling capital city of Bangkok, I was enthralled by the ordered chaos, the meeting of jungle and concrete, the sights, smells, sounds of this new place I had stepped into. It was exactly what I hoped it would be and I was eager to soak it all up.
Over those two weeks, I spent time in Bangkok visiting temples and going to night markets, Chiang Mai walking through the old streets, striking up conversations with locals, visiting an elephant conservation park, and finally Krabi exploring the stunning beaches and the towering karst islands.
My biggest takeaway from my time in Thailand was a craving for a simpler life. I’m not sure if it was being in vacation mode or experiencing SO much newness, but from an outsider’s perspective, there seemed to be a closer connection with nature, an innate reverence for spiritualism, and a stronger respect for traditions and craftsmanship that I felt was sorely lacking in our Western culture. Everyone we met was incredibly warm, friendly, and smiling (Thailand is literally referred to as the “Land of Smiles”) which made it seem like they had unlocked some kind of secret to happiness. I think that secret might be a richer culture…and experiencing that first hand made me envious for a simpler way of life, free of technology, of the hustle, of societal pressure, of capitalism. Being in Thailand made me just want to be.
It was admittedly a pretty surface-level experience of a rich and complex country, but I was so inspired upon returning home that I designed the entire collection within a few days. Those designs lay dormant for two years before I was able to pick back up where I left off and complete the Thailand Collection.
The world has changed a lot in those two years and I’ve done a lot of learning and growing as a human, artist, designer, and business owner. As the collection has become more fully formed, I’ve been confronting my privilege and done some work (there’s always more to do!) to address the complexity that is cultural appropriation.
According to this white paper on cultural appropriation by Studio Atao, their working definition of cultural appropriation is: “the adoption of elements of one culture by another, especially in cases where a dominant culture exploits aspects of a minority culture outside of its original cultural context and/or at the expense of the original culture for personal gain.”
As an artist and designer, I believe and hope that through this collection of work, I’m exploring my experience of the short time I spent in Thailand, translating the colors and shapes that inspired me, and sharing what I’ve learned of the culture, craft and people of Thailand. Of the designs that aren’t named after places, I’ve respectfully given them their translated Thai names and will be sharing the context of my inspiration in the product descriptions. In providing cultural context for each design through inspiration photos, sharing my personal experience, and sharing the research I’ve gathered, my goal is to give credit where credit is due.
As a way to give back, we’ll be donating 3% of all Thailand Collection sales to the Raks Thai Foundation as gratitude and thanks for providing inspiration for our work. Raks Thai is a member of CARE International with programs in women’s economic empowerment & gender equality, environment and climate change, children and youth, health & migrant’s rights and emergency response.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll also be sharing the work of Thai quilters and artists through Instagram in an effort to uplift the incredible tradition of craftsmanship that’s been part of Thai culture for centuries.
And to our lovely customers, I encourage you to take the time to read through these descriptions, learn about Thai culture, donate to the Raks Thai Foundation if you feel called to do so, and if possible, plan a trip to visit this magical, welcoming country.
In creating these travel-inspired collections, I want these places and these designs to resonate with you in the same way experiencing the journey had such a profound impact on me. I hope they inspire a sense of adventure and curiosity in you to get out of the everyday and explore this big beautiful world of ours.
LOVE, Laura
I recognize my fallibility, so if you have any constructive suggestions or corrections, I’d love to hear them so I can make the necessary revisions.
