
2023
Alien Tourist
T-Shirts
Speculative Design
Experimental Fashion
Contributing Team:
Arly Amaya (Fabricator)
Questions under artistic consideration:
What will Americans leave behind when we go?
What have we built that will last beyond us?
What have we made that will be our cultural legacy?
What do our things say about us?
What would an alien notice about America? What would it imagine we care about? What would it brag to its friends about having seen?








Creative Process
After developing the concept behind Alien Tourist T-Shirt, I brought it to life by first exploring the kinds of forms and fits that non-human bodies might require from a t-shirt
Using bug bodies and underwater creatures as inspirational reference points, I created hundreds of potential patterns and then moved forward with a handful of options that felt distinctly "alien" but retained enough proximity to a t-shirt to remain recognizable.
I also embarked on a series of material and print experiments to ensure that the final t-shirt images were clear, color-balanced, and sized appropriately.
Finally, I created a series of muslin prototypes to explore final shapes and image placement. Once the prototypes were finalized, I worked with a professional seamstress to create the final, polished pieces.
