Cheer for the Year of the Gold Ox and celebrate the Presidents’ Day with our New York Fashion Week collaboration launch party hosted by the Museum of Chinese in America and PRIVATE POLICY, featuring DJ Chopstix Mami!
For the Fall-Winter 2021 collection, Siying Qu and Haoran Li, creative directors of PRIVATE POLICY, have collaborated with our new collections and research center the MOCA Workshop, which has provided extensive research materials vital to the collection’s inspiration. With their creative interpretation, the designers bring awareness to the important historical contributions of the nineteenth-century Chinese transcontinental railroad workers and acknowledge the xenophobia of that era, while also reminding us that similar racist sentiments still exist today, now catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. No longer avoiding the issue, people are speaking up about the past and the amplification of racism and prejudice against Asian immigrants. The younger generation will not allow these microaggressions to continue against the community. The designers chose this story because it brings to light the pride we have for the phenomenal contributions of the previous generations to the community and nation. We look to them for inspiration to stand tall for who we are and we welcome others to learn about this untold story.
This collaboration is an educational introduction to spark discovery and interest; and to uncover this unique cultural history. Even though individual stories may now be covered in snow, blown away by sand, or lost in time, we will look harder to remember the Chinese railroad workers and their epic tales.
A special collaborative design piece launches today, Feb. 15, 2021 during Fall/Winter 2021 New York Fashion Week. Limited edition items in three colors are available for pre-order here. Proceeds from all pre-order sales will be donated to MOCA to support its mission. The collection’s lookbook was shot at the Museum recently, featuring a cast of diverse Chinese descent who each share their unique story as it relates to their cultural roots.