My senior thesis, entitled “China Too Cool: Vernacular Innovations and Aesthetic Discontinuity of China”, examines the cultural phenomenon and aesthetic style of "Too Cool": the unoriginal, tacky-cool styles of cultural productions "Made in China." I argued that there is a different kind of creativity involved in making low quality rip-offs, resulting in intriguing aesthetic outcomes. The birth of “Too Cool” is a two-fold phenomenon—a naive layer and a second layer of conscious remaking—and is a result of economic and generational differences in China. By examining aspects of fashion, popular culture, interior and graphic design in the Too Cool style, we gain a more nuanced understanding of Chinese cultural productions. Find the free pdf here and join the discussion, or email me to purchase a print version. 

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