V&A
Turquoise Thai Silk Tunic with Lotus Print
1970s · 1960s · Hong Kong
Production
ready-to-wear
Material
Thai silk
Culture
Hong Kong
Movement
Orientalism · Hippie / Counterculture
Influences
Thai textile traditions · 1960s psychedelic color palette
A straight-cut tunic top with three-quarter sleeves and a simple round neckline. The garment features a vibrant all-over print of stylized lotus blossoms in royal blue against a turquoise and lime green tie-dyed or batik-style background. The lotus motifs are rendered in a bold, graphic style typical of 1960s textile design, with radiating petal patterns creating medallion-like formations across the fabric surface. The construction appears simple with minimal tailoring - straight side seams and set-in sleeves. The Thai silk fabric has a smooth, lustrous finish that enhances the saturated colors. This represents the era's embrace of exotic prints and relaxed silhouettes influenced by Asian aesthetics.
top/t-shirt/sweatshirtregular fitround neckhip length
Connected To
55%
Movement·Orientalism
SHARED40 years · cross-culture · cross-category
Both garments ride the same wave of Western fascination with "the East," but they reveal how dramatically that fantasy evolved between the 1920s and 1970s. The earlier French costume sketch traffics in pure theatrical Orientalism—all flowing drapery and exotic headgear designed to conjure a vague, romanticized Asia for Western eyes.
Echoes Across Time
1970s → Roaring Twenties / Art Deco · 40yr55%
SHARED
Both garments ride the same wave of Western fascination with "the East," but they reveal how dramatically that fantasy evolved between the 1920s and 1970s. The earlier French costume sketch traffics in pure theatrical Orientalism—all flowing drapery and exotic headgear designed to conjure a vague, romanticized Asia for Western eyes.
Movement·Orientalism
1970s → Victorian Early / Crinoline · 100yr53%
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