Hi. We’re BACKMATTER.
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noun.
sections found at the back of a book―ex. appendix, glossary―that are supplementary in nature, providing further information about some aspect of the book.
- BACKMATTER started as a knee-jerk reaction, a need, to combat accessorization of Asian symbolism in the fashion industry.
- Because fuck that.
- There occurs a layered reduction of significance over time when cultural motifs are deemed couture on certain bodies, and not on the bodies from which they originated.

- Or when they’re robbed of the potential to connote something more beyond being decor.

- Our cultures are rich with narrative, both visual and emotional.
- With apparel as a medium, BACKMATTER seeks to remove the Western lens and reclaim meaning in Asian symbolism for those who actually live that narrative. The steps are small, but they’re steps.
- As small as building on a colloquial phrase, to translating another from English, transversing a 21st century exchange.




- Let’s speak for ourselves.
走吧!

- ⇨ Shop ☺
- 📝: We believe that your voice knows best. Although initially tackling certain material due to personal familiarity, it is our intention for this to be a platform that boosts visibility for all facets of Asian diaspora. If you are a Pacific Islander, South East Asian, South Asian, or East Asian, and have ideas in the same realm, please reach out and we’ll see what we can make happen together! wearebackmatter@gmail.com
- 📢: This initiative is for Asian bodies. Depending on the item, please be conscious of your desire to wear a narrative that is not yours.
