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The ultimate emblem of Maoism, the “Mao suit” became the uniform of China’s Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. Once exported to France, it was appropriated by pro-Chinese activists, by the Parisian intellectuals of Tel Quel and by members of the internationalized jet-set. With its spare, austere lines, the suit metamorphosed into a symbol of both revolutionary distinction and ostentatious elitism. Stripped of its ideological connotations, it was integrated into Western fashion, fuelling the imagination of some of the most creative designers. The “Mao suit” symbolised the cross-exchanges which characterized Maoist China and its rise to the rank of political mythology in France, overlaid with revolutionary aspirations and hints of Orientalism.