Laurence Wen-Yu Li is a Taiwanese PhD researcher studying History of Design at the Royal College of Art and Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Find more information on her reconstruction and Chinese fashion history video projects on this site.

About

My research centers around cultural studies of ribbons in late Qing Chinese women’s clothing, as well as how the methodological approach of reconstruction works in the context of Chinese clothing.

Education

PhD in History of Design (expected 2026)

Royal College of Art/Victoria & Albert Museum

Master of Arts in Textiles and Clothing (2023)

Fu Jen Catholic University

Bachelor of Science in Plant Pathology and Microbiology (2019)

National Taiwan University

Refashioning Culture

Series of videos on Chinese historical clothing produced for the Chinese Textiles and Clothing Culture Center (Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei), researched, scripted, and presented by Laurence. Includes: Clothing Through the Ages, a series on women’s clothing in Imperial China spanning 2500+ years (left), and two-part documentary series on reconstructing and wearing two late Qing Han Chinese women’s ensembles (right).

Publications

Li, L. W. (2023). The Bilingual Project: Challenges and Rewards of Presenting Reconstruction of Chinese Dress to an English-Speaking Audience [Conference presentation]. Making Historical Dress Network Workshop, Chawton, UK. 

Li, L. W. (2023). Reconstructing Late Qing Han Chinese Women’s Dress through Making and Wearing. Paper presented at IFFTI 2023 Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Li, L. W. (2022, November 24-25). Examining a Late Qing Han Chinese Women’s Ensemble through Reconstruction [Conference presentation]. Sichuan and Fu Jen University 2022 Conference, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Ho, Z. H. (Eds.), Wang, T. Y. (2022). Decoding the Secret of Miao: Splendid clothing and embroidery samplers in Geyi style (L. W. Li, Trans). New Taipei City: Chinese Textiles and Clothing Culture Center, Department of Textiles and Clothing, Fu Jen Catholic University.

Li, L. W., Ho, Z. H., Wang, T. Y. (2021). From Collar to Hem: Comparison and Analysis of Construction Methods used in 6 Late Qing Dynasty Hakka Blouses [從領口到衣襬：六件晚清臺灣藍衫的服飾細節比較初探]. Paper presented at the 2021 Orange Beneficence International Conference, New Taipei City.

Write me an email: laurence.li@rca.ac.uk

Find me on Instagram: @laurencewenyuli

Contact