To clarify, this outfit is entirely my own original design and is not intended as a cultural, historical, or SWANA Orientalist interpretation. That said, I am Southeast Asian, so it is natural that elements of my cultural background may influence my designs, whether consciously or unconsciously. (check my highlights) I would genuinely hate to offend anyone, especially since I personally dislike orientalism and have wanted to talk about it through my work for a long time. The intention behind this story was to critique war, exploitation, power imbalances and cults, not participate in it. Unfortunately, without enough context, that message didn't come through clearly and some people interpreted it the opposite way. I understand how that happened, and while that's frustrating, I don't blame anyone for reacting based on what they saw. Veils aren't exclusive to SWANA cultures, and are not—in the context of MY story in any way- related to Orientalistic/Exoticistic caricatures. Veils, face coverings, and mythological masks have existed in many cultures throughout history, Ancient Siam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indigenous cultures, and even Chinese -performance traditions. The existence of a veil or a mask does not automatically make something SWANA inspired, The Middle East is not the only place in the world. My story is not based on any real culture. It's influenced by my own culture and various inspirations from my upbringing rather than any specific ethnic group. The veil in my story is not meant to be exotic or romanticized. It represents oppression, control, objectification, and the loss of identity. My character was forced to wear it from a young age to perform, hiding who she truly is while serving the interests of those exploiting her. The veil and masks are symbols of how she is being objectified and silenced. Their purpose in the story is to criticize exploitation and objectification, not celebrate it. Lastly, Orientalism is a real historical and academic concept and applying it to a completely fictional fantasy story that has zero geographical, historical, or cultural connection to the real world “Orient” is misleading. It also trivializes the actual history and the real people affected by Orientalist representations, making the term lose its meaning. So stop misusing the term. I do not support orientalism and I never will. Thank you for your understanding. (And stop believing a tweet from a bigoted genshin impact player, see for yourself and THINK for yourself. #oc #music #OST #fenrei #whitemarkdarkprayers - @riilu865