From Comb Sisters to Female Workers of Fast Fashion

Thursday, 22 October 2026 | 18:00 | Villa Romana
Dalle “Zi Shu Nü” alle Lavoratrici del Pronto Moda
From Comb Sisters to Female Workers of Fast Fashion
从自梳女到快时尚女工

A conversation between Hanlu Zhang and Charmaine Poh

From the silk industry of the Pearl River Delta to the pronto moda workshops of Prato, Chinese migration has long been intertwined with textile production and women's labour. Yet the women whose lives and work have shaped these histories often remain invisible.

Curator and writer Hanlu Zhang and Villa Romana Fellow Charmaine Poh bring together their research across Asia and Italy, following the experiences of women whose movements have connected South China, Singapore and Tuscany. Their conversation considers how migration transforms places, and how women's work and self-expression continue to shape the communities they inhabit.

The event takes place in the context of Le Cose Hanno Ancora Sete, where Charmaine Poh presents work developed during her Villa Romana Fellowship.

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