BLURRED PERCEPTION
‘A person’s thoughts and feelings are not related to reality, he or she cannot understand what is real and what is imaginary’. Maybe each human being lives in the unique world, a private world different from those inhabited and experienced by all other human being. If reality from person to person, can we speak of reality singular or should we be talking about plural realities? And if there are plural realities, are some more true and more real than others? What about the world of a schizophrenic? Maybe, it’s as real as our world. Maybe we cannot say that we are in touch with reality and he is not, but should instead say, ‘his reality is so different from ours that he can’t explain his to us, and we can’t explain ours to him.’ The problem, then, is that if subjective worlds are experienced too differently, there occurs a breakdown in communication, and there is the real illness. Depression and anxiety take the main focus of inspiration behind the collection. The dishevelled look of the patients and the workers in the mental institutions takes a strong control of the direction for the silhouette within the collection. Using oversized tailoring along with straps and irregular shapes, it would be possible to re-create this asethetic. The irregular shapes and the oversized clothing illustrate the feeling of a dense mind. The colour that represents my inspiration is BLACK. A perfect colour to explore the feeling of being trapped and miserable. Fabrics has been chosen carefully to give a the whole project to recreate the attires of the patients and the workers, bringing an contemporary urban vibe to the collection and giving justice to the project concept.
CUSTOMER PROFILE NAME: CHARLOTTE MARTIN United Kingdom, London Age: 22 Occupation: Assistant Stylist/ Student/Blogger University of Arts London
My woman is the principal of sophistication. She has a very edgy and urban style when it comes to fashion. She is very particular about clothes, it needs to be super comfortable, simple and in the same time, fashionable. Besides the comfort, the quality and the design are particularly important. She is always keen on the functionality of the clothes. The clothes that she wears are mostly light to dark colours. Her style is very different, mostly to do with combining a sports inspired piece with something stylish. She is always trying out new things, experimenting with clothes and the way she looks. The clothes that she wears are not the look everyone would go for, but for her it clearly states her aesthetics. Her favourite piece from her wardrobe is the biker jacket that she recently purchased.
She has a very active social life. She is always out during the weekends or just busy attending some event. She loves to explore new places, meet new faces. Even with her busy schedule, she stays very fit.
PROJECT CONCEPT
The project gives a strong symbolisation of emotion of insanity such as depression possession and the feeling of being trapped in your head. Thoughts bubbling away, eating you from the inside out. Leaving you feeling uncomfortable, heavy and confused.
This notion of being constrained by your own mind is something everyone can relate to on some level. However, taking inspiration from the extreme of this state of mind is something this collection is built upon.
Moodboard
The beaded masks and the African horn, represent the how insanity can blur a person’s vision.
Mental illness is an extremely stigmatised disorder, causing victims to feel ashamed of their state of mind due to the attitudes of the general community. Mental illness and a physical illness are two different things. The comparison is that a physical illness, like for instance a broken leg is that it can be healed in time. A mental illness the victim will always lead the sufferer to feel extremely devalued, feeling as though their condition does not matter. It curable but will always has an impact in that person’s life. ‘Get some rest and you will feel better’, a common statement in response to someone speaking out about their mental health. Though possibly well meant, these words extract someone of no value. Feeling as though people don’t care about how they are really feeling. Comparing these two types of pain is something that has been almost drilled into psyche. It is as though unless you personally have a problem with mental health, you don’t fully understand how it feels to be detached from ones self.
DON’T LET IT CONSUME YOU
PROJECT RESEARCH
Project research was done on the basis of things related to mental illness. The first thing that came in my mind was the look of the untidy look of the mental patients in institutions. This took a very strong control in the silhouette within the collection. Inspecting the ignored way in which people of the mental care facilities presented themselves has provided a strong foundation for shape and form. Oversized shapes, helps to create the negligence of the patients clothing and mirrors the disjointed nature of their minds. Using oversized garments along with the choice of fabrics and colour, it would be possible to re-create the aesthetic. The use of oversized garment helps create the impression of a small frame weighed down under the clothing. The two choices of fabric being, light and heavy would create the feeling of an unstable mind. Colour plays a huge role in how the mind feels in a certain situation. It is possible the rooms were dark or was coloured in white to give bright effect. However, the colour black used in the project is almost suffocating. The memories attached to these dark rooms give the feeling of the feeling of disturbance and separation. Using the colour black within the collection will hopefully suggest feelings of misperception within the dark context.
COLOUR BOARD
SILHOUETTE BOARD
DETAIL BOARD
INFLUENCES/ COMPETITOR BRANDS
LOW CLASSIC
Anyone in Asia will most likely be familiar with the brand Low Classic. Low Classic, a seoul- based fashion brand known for its classic yet wit representation of women’s image was launched in 20019 by Lee Myeong Sin, Hwang Hyun Ji and Park Jin Sun. This powerful trio has the great basis for setting up an immaculately conveived label with global power.
Low Classic create the perfect minimal wardbrode and never in the dull sense of the word, which minimal can vary often cross and over into, instead they manage to keep things interesting with lots of typography, done correctly in my opinion, texture and intersting shapes and cut out details. The designs are youthful and playful, despite being minimal, but the pieces individually could certainly sit happily alongside a more classic, ‘grown up’ wardrobe. Their latest collection represents a new dynamic elegant pieces with a sly sense of humour, such as playful tees and pullovers. Sleek, classic dresses and coats do not deviate from the minimalistic approach of the brand and underline the women’s sensibilty.
T by ALEXANDER WANG
Alexander Wang has always been one of my favourite, my collection has been influenced by Wang’s diffusion collection, T by Alexander Wang. Wang is known for his laid-back, downtown, and model off-duty asethetic. His designs has influenced my collection because he always uses sportswearinspired silhouettes and material, which makes it very urban and edgy. At the same time adding structural and clean tailoring, with oversized designs inspired by menswear.Frequent used colour in most of his collection is Black and Neon, which makes me love his collection more.
His diffusion collection is to die for, he appears to be heading in a different direction. The emphasis on deconstruction is evident with raw edges, fring details and unfinished seams contrasted against sporty pieces in techno fabric.
OPENING CEREMONY
Downtown New York fashion retail experts-turned-designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon are knon for their irrevelant, playful, and undeniably cool take on fashion, as founder of the trendsetting boutique Opening Ceremony. Drawn by a mutual love of clothing and travel, and inspired by a trip to Hong Kong in 2002, a multi-brand boutique in New York, now in Los Angeles, London and Tokyo. The duo has revived interests in the trends and fashion that defined their youth and began producing a quirky self-branded collection to fill the gap for the basic staples.
Opening Ceremony collections and asethetic captures the youthful, fun and forward thinking design asethetic that defines the company as a whole. A different travelling couple, a brother and sister, boyfriend and girlfriend, or best friends inspires each collection, each seasons. Opening Ceremony is a wonderful proof that creativity in fashion has no limit and it always leads to perfection and some innovative trending vibes that are sure to turn even the dullest wardrobe into a fashion bomb.