Alice Gruvander

This degree work investigates a Chinese ethnic identity in a Swedish social environment by means of translating national and cultural symbols, representing China and Sweden, into colours and materials within garments and accessories. Furthermore, this project demonstrates a transracial adoptee identity journey, through the act of conforming as a reaction to Swedish norms.

Personal experiences of being a Chinese, Swedish adoptee have been applied to direct this work to conduct the study. An illustration of a timeline concerns the past and the present stages of a transracial adoptee identity and demonstrates the identity journey in chronological order, divided into five stages.

This degree work generates new expressions within the social sustainability field in fashion by showcasing the absurdity to conform to Swedish norms. This work identifies how biological and social factors form identity from a transracial adoptee perspective.

This degree work demonstrates the complexity of transracial identity formation, through several layers, and criticizes Swedish norms through dress. It can spread awareness of the anxiety for transracial to fit into norms and recognition for those affected by it.

Photo: Daniela Ferro