Klara Han

The Moscow Rules

Class of: 2027

Major: Fashion Design BFA

Medium: Textiles, Plastic bullets

Faculty: Heidi Lee

Prompt: This project contains Bridge 3-5, the final project is to develop a garment for my collection.

My project was inspired by the espionage artifacts that were created by the CIA against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Evident in the book “The Moscow Rules” written by former CIA disguise officers, the CIA operations in Moscow were extremely dangerous because of the harsh conditions and heavy surveillance by the KGB. How can an individual use human intelligence to disguise their identity? I experimented with the deconstruction of layered artifacts that are designed to embody marks of identity. These artifacts, from field combat gear to leather gloves disguised as holsters, were used as reference to my research that carries an intense compassion towards the sacrifices in the battle for faith and their country. Power dynamics rotate, ideologies change and people come and go. This project tributes to those nameless heros, their lives and the sacrifices they made in hope to better their tomorrow— our lives today.