MARS MEDIA
was my Senior Capstone project which explores how Western luxury conglomerates maintain dominance through colonial supply chains, cultural extraction, and the illusion of craftsmanship.
Luxury fashion often relies on exploited labor from Asia, Africa, and South America. Mars aims to expose and deconstruct these systems while envisioning alternative models of luxury that stem from authenticity, equity, and representation from all cultures.
Mars Media includes a publication titled Mars Magazine, and a policy kit titled Red Hands, proposing ethical manufacturing standards.
01 MARS MAGAZINE
Mars Magazine aims to shift young audiences away from the Western Gaze, and counter Eurocentric publications that continue to exploit and fetishize culture. The publication would feature artisans and creatives from different regions of the world, and redefine luxury craft as a decolonial tradition.
02 RED HANDS
Red Hands proposes to implement opaque supply chains within the fashion space, to be on par with industries such as food and jewelry. This would hypothetically be submitted through partnerships with labor organizations and craft councils.
Physical book mock-up made with photoshop.
The research behind this project focused on the connotations behind the words luxury and craftsmanship, where the conducted surveys revealed that 80% of respondents associate Western Europe with luxury craftsmanship.
I also looked into the emotional gap between consumers and the large conglomerates that continue to exploit workers in the “Global South”… a term I hate. There are countless documentaries that expose working conditions in sweatshops, yet consumers continue to purchase from fast fashion brands like Zara.
Prada SS26 Menswear Kolhapuri sandals, which were under fire for stealing Indian designs with no credit given. These sandals retailed for €750, while many luxury houses continue to exploit labor in countries like India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines.
These countries in Asia and Africa depend on sweatshop labor and partnerships with European countries to maintain relationships with the West, while the West continues to be reputable for luxury craftsmanship.