Xinran Li
(She/Her)
Project Statement
My project stems from observing the profound double standards imposed on the female body. As a “No Bra” practitioner for three years, I have experienced how women cannot escape the male gaze: while shirtless men face no scrutiny, braless women endure invasive stares. This hypocrisy prompted me to trace the history of underwear regulation and female resistance, from the Western corset to the Eastern “Natural Breast Movement”. I realised that whether actively concealing the body to evade the gaze or discarding the bra to confront it, the underlying motive remains consistent: women are transforming this intimate space into a defence mechanism to reclaim bodily autonomy. Through interviews with “No Bra” practitioners, I seek to “weaponise” these bodily boundaries into a confrontational editorial design system, turning the passive state of “being looked at” into an act of fierce visual resistance.
Research Question
How can book design and experimental typography be used to document the “No Bra” experience, making the invisible societal rules and the male gaze visible?
Methodology
Primary qualitative interviews, typographic experiments, and book design.
Outcome
A 100-page, B5 editorial publication.
Binding: Exposed spine Smyth-sewn Cover: 1800gsm board, 157gsm coated paper (matte lamination) Endpapers: 250 gsm matte art paper Inner: 128 gsm matte art paper
