YUKTI V. AGARWAL
(b. 2000)
42 x 24”
Silk ‘madras’ cloth, sequin factory waste
Madras cloth is the quintessential Ivy Leaguer’s attire — but behind its bright colors lies much that goes unseen. This work is meant to be viewed alongside Ralph Lauren’s iconic flag sweater and all-plaid silhouettes. Made in America, of course.
A contemplation on my time at Ralph Lauren, where I found myself designing their iconic flag sweaters — an object both aspirational and patriotic, yet deeply entangled with questions of labor, authorship, and appropriation. How much more will be extracted, translated, and repackaged before these textiles — once woven in India for colonizers — lose all trace of their origins? How much more can a cloth bear before it becomes only symbol, emptied of its histories?