Author of the book: Exploring Art, Knowledge and Movement in Japanese Fashion

Eliva Press: Please introduce yourself. What would you like your reader to know about you? 

Vivien Jiaqian Zhu 朱嘉倩: As a researcher bridging performance studies (表演研究), art history (艺术史), and design innovation (设计创新), my work explores how bodily movement (身体运动) shapes aesthetic cognition (审美认知) in East Asian (东亚) fashion and literary systems (服装与文学系统). I am currently a Ph.D. candidate (博士候选人) and Regent's Fellow (摄政学者) in Japanese Literature (日本文学) at UC Berkeley (加州大学伯克利分校), as well as a visiting scholar (访问学者) affiliated with the Department of Vice Provost and Dean of Research (副教务长兼研究总监办公室) at Stanford University (斯坦福大学). My background includes extensive archival research (档案研究), fieldwork (田野调查), and training spanning the University of Cambridge (剑桥大学), Stanford Graduate School of Business (斯坦福大学商学院), and Harvard Kennedy School (哈佛肯尼迪学院). This diverse academic training (学术训练) allows me to establish a deeply cross-disciplinary framework (跨学科框架) that underpins the entirety of this book.  

Eliva Press:  What is your inspiration/motivation? 

Zhu: My motivation is rooted in a fundamental inquiry (根本追问): how do we assert "cognitive sovereignty" 认知主权 in the face of systemic pressure (系统性压力)? This project began with my foundational research on The Story of the Stone 《红楼梦》 under Professor Andrew F. Jones (安道教授)  at UC Berkeley. His rigorous mentorship (严谨指导)—-especially the importance of literature (文学的重要性)—became the aesthetic blueprint (美学蓝图) for my subsequent decade of work. I sought to understand how classical Chinese narratives (中国古典叙事) could be found with new interpretations (全新阐释) in the study of modern China (现代中国研究) and visual cultures (视觉文化).  

Eliva Press: How long did it take to complete your book from the idea to publication? 

Zhu: Parts of this book were published as an article (文章). ‘“I Dwell in Possibility”: The Poetics of Space (空间的诗学) in the Works of 1980s Japanese Avant-Garde (前卫) Fashion Designers’ (『私は可能性の中に住む』：1980年代日本前衛ファッションデザイナー作品における空間の詩学) first appeared in Comparative Literature: East & West (December 2024 / 2024年12月). The research notes (研究笔记) ‘“Writ in Water”: Passionate Entrance for Tears and Impassive Exit on Boat’ (“聲名水上書:”入世之淚與出世之船) was a final paper (期末论文) submitted for Professor Andrew F. Jones’ (安道教授) course The Story of the Stone 《红楼梦》 when I was a freshman (大一学生). His comments offered valuable and detailed feedback (宝贵而详尽的反馈)  on all the paper drafts (论文初稿) I wrote for The Story of the Stone 《红楼梦》. Conversations in his office initiated my path on this research journey (研究旅程).  

The preparation for the book project Exploring Art, Knowledge and Movement in Japanese Fashion 《探索日本时尚的艺术、知识与运动》was a rigorous, 29-month endeavor (历时29个月的严谨过程): 

• 18 months (18个月): Archival research (档案研究) in Kyoto (京都) and Tokyo (东京), accessing museum collections (博物馆藏品) and designer archives (设计师档案).. 

• 6 months: Specialized movement analysis workshops (专业运动分析研讨会), mapping how specific garment structures (特定服装结构) constrain or enable bodily kinetics (限制或赋予身体动力学). 

• 3 months: Integrating peer-review feedback (整合同行评审反馈)  and manuscript revision (书稿修改). 

• 2 months: Layout refinement (排版优化) and final production coordination (最终出版协调). Throughout this journey, I have ensured the transparency of my research (研究透明度) by maintaining a meticulous and continuous record of provenance (细致且连续的文献来源记录)) for my analytical notes (分析笔记), allowing for the complete verification of my research evolution (研究演变的全程验证).

Eliva Press: What's the main message and idea of your book "Exploring Art, Knowledge and Movement in Japanese Fashion"? 

Zhu: The book  Exploring Art, Knowledge and Movement in Japanese Fashion 《探索日本时尚的艺术、知识与运动》is an interdisciplinary study (跨学科研究) that investigates the philosophy of "ma" (間/间)—the space between textile and skin (面料与皮肤之间的空间)—within the radical aesthetic innovations (激进的美学创新) of 1980s (1980年代) Japanese avant-garde (前卫) designers like Rei Kawakubo (川久保玲). By bridging 18th-century literary masterpieces (18世纪文学杰作) such as The Story of the Stone 《红楼梦》 with contemporary fashion (当代时尚), this work uncovers how classical traditions (古典传统)  and modern transformations (现代转型)  shape global visual discourse (全球视觉话语). This volume offers actionable insights (切实可行的洞见) for scholars of Comparative Literature (比较文学), Performance Studies (表演研究), and Transnational Literary Theory (跨国文学理论). It moves beyond traditional historical accounts (传统历史叙述) to demonstrate how cross-cultural dialogues (跨文化对话) and avant-garde design (前卫设计) serve as a "communication to the world" (向世界的对话), bridging the intersection (交汇点) of literature (文学), religion (宗教), and the visual arts (视觉艺术). 

 The methodology (方法论)  integrates: 

• Comparative Literary Analysis (比较文学分析): Examining the influence of Chinese classics (中国古典名著) on modern design philosophy (现代设计哲学). 

• Archival Interpretation (档案解读): A deep-dive (深入挖掘) into the history of art (艺术史) and performance studies (表演研究) to map the conceptual boundaries (概念边界) between the Greek poiein (希腊语：创造/制作) and contemporary fashion (当代时尚). 

• Movement Hermeneutics (运动诠释学): Developing this interpretive framework (发展这一阐释框架) to analyze how cultural heritage (文化遗产) dictates the "movement" (运动)  of fashion and body architecture (服装与身体架构). 

Eliva Press: What was the most unexpected conclusion  you came up with while preparing "Exploring Art, Knowledge and Movement in Japanese Fashion"? 

Zhu: The most unexpected conclusion (最意想不到的结论) emerged directly from 18 months of intensive archival fieldwork (密集档案田野调查) in Kyoto (京都) and Tokyo (东京). While cross-referencing museum collections with rare designer archives (珍贵设计师档案), I noticed that the physical construction (物理结构)  of avant-garde (前卫) garments often mirrored the structural logic (结构逻辑) found in early modern Japanese palaeography (早期现代日本古文书学) and court drama records (宫廷戏剧记录). I discovered that these garments were not merely aesthetic expressions (美学表达); they were 'physical archives' (实体档案)—specifically, the archival data (档案数据) revealed that the spatial liberties (空间自由) taken by designers like Rei Kawakubo (川久保玲) were, in fact, kinetic re-enactments (动力学重演) of classical Japanese spatial concepts (古典日本空间概念) that had been largely absent from the textual record (文本记录). This led to the development of a 'movement hermeneutics' (运动诠释学) framework, proving that archival history (档案历史) is not only contained in documents (文献) but is actively transmitted through somatic memory (身体记忆) and garment construction (服装构造). This methodology (方法论) allows us to use bodily movement (身体运动) as a sophisticated interpretive tool (高级诠释工具) to 'read' (阅读) the physical archives of heritage preservation (遗产保护的实体档案) in ways that traditional text-based research (传统基于文本的研究) cannot. 

Eliva Press: How would you describe your publishing experience with Eliva Press in a few words? 

Zhu: Finally, I would like to extend my appreciation (表达谢意) to my editor (编辑), Irina Lungu (伊琳娜·隆古), whose guidance (指导) was instrumental throughout the publication process (出版过程) with Eliva Press (埃利瓦出版社). The experience was distinguished by a streamlined production trajectory (精简的高效出版流程) and highly attentive design collaboration (高度专注的设计协作). Furthermore, the publisher’s global distribution architecture (全球分销体系) proved remarkably effective, facilitating the urgent release (快速发行) of this volume across key international retailers (主要国际零售商)—including Amazon (亚马逊), Barnes & Noble (巴诺书店), Ingram Lightning Source (英格拉姆闪电资源), and specialized academic bookstores (专业学术书店)—providing the operational agility (运营敏捷性) essential for the timely dissemination (及时传播) of current academic scholarship (最新学术成果). 

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