In a society where people often feel anxious, this collection focuses on the detail of the human body aspect, and expresses the concept of revealing and confidence.
The KOI collection’s inspiration comes from Japanese koi fish. It expresses the concept of revealing and confidence. When I first went to Huntington Library in Los Angeles, one of my favorite areas was the Japanese Garden. I saw that all the koi were very active, and had so much energy in them. Each and every one of them are special because their skin patterns are asymmetrical and unique–just like people's figures.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in eight people feel anxious about their bodies. The KOI collection emphasizes that instead of feeling anxious and unconfident, we should feel proud of being an independent and unique individual, and not be afraid to reveal our true selves.
Project Summary
Mood-board
- Japanese KOI
Inspiration
- Fish scales, body, ink painting, and Wabi-sabi
Design Development
- Made initial collages in my sketchbook to conceptualize silhouettes, fabrics and hues
Technical Sketches
- Used Adobe Illustrator to make technical sketches and used Procreated to draw fashion illustrations
Garment Samples
- Finalized three outfits and made samples on the dress form according to the size of the model
Final Outfits
- Finalized outfits and photographed at Huntington Library’s Japanese Garden in Los Angeles
Line-up
Reflection
In this project, I was inspired by the research I did around the concept of body anxiety.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, over one in five adults (22%) and 40% of teenagers said images on social media caused them to worry about their body image.
These data made me think and reflect on how we should face this problem. I think it is most important to love yourself and improve your confidence level about your body. Though you may feel self-conscious and anxious because of what the internet and people around you say about you, your body belongs to you and not them.
I think that one way to face or overcome body image anxiety can be through moving your body through exercise. Exercising improves self-confidence and helps to increase the level of connection with your body. Exercise allows you to start appreciating your physical abilities, free yourself and make friends with your body.
