Let’s start at the beginning of your career. What sparked your interest in fashion design?
My passion for fashion design was kindled in childhood, with my fondness for drawing and dressing up Barbie dolls. It became my first foray into ‘fashion’. The clothes that came with each Barbie always intrigued me, sparking my imagination about how they would look when worn. My collection of dolls and their outfits soon took over my bedroom. As I grew, I began modifying and making their tiny garments, a process that filled me with a sense of accomplishment.
Beyond the Barbie world, my mother was another pivotal influence guiding me towards fashion design. Her love for fashion and her sensitivity to colour combinations influenced me deeply. Moreover, she once aspired to be a fashion designer, a dream that wasn’t feasible in her era. So, in a way, I set out to fulfil this dream for both of us, intertwining her aspirations with mine, just as our relationship has always been deeply connected. This blend of childhood play, maternal inspiration, and shared dreams is why I love and persevere in the world of fashion design.
Your collection aims to create clothing that symbolises a symbiotic relationship with immortality. How did you relate it to the human desire for eternal life?
The inspiration comes from human beings who have never stopped exploring immortality, we can often feel human beings’ longing for immortality in many legends and stories. With the development of science and technology, can we integrate with the human body through biological science and technology, to achieve the concept of human immortality? To achieve symbiosis with long-lived creatures, which is also an idea for future post-humans.
As you can see, I’ve connected humans with the immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii medusa), continuously exploring this coexistence, aiming for life as enduring as the jellyfish. Translating this into fashion, I draw a parallel between this biological marvel and our desire for eternal life. I try to transform clothing into an artistic form of expressing vitality and revival of human beings and immortal jellyfish.
The garments are crafted to embody our quest for immortality, reflecting our longing for a future in harmony with nature’s most resilient species. This fashion line is not solely about showcasing humanity’s challenge to ageing but also about stimulating the imagination towards life’s extension and a future where technology harmonises with the natural world.
What inspired you to explore the concept of immortality through the lens of the immortal jellyfish?
I was inspired by the movie “Chimera Strain,” which presents the idea of saving children with genetic diseases by harnessing the regenerative genes of the immortal jellyfish. In my collection, the immortal jellyfish symbolises the ability to indefinitely cycle life by reversing their life stages. This unique natural lifecycle has become the cornerstone of my design concept: they are not immortal but can cycle life wirelessly, just like rejuvenation. It is a creature that can restart its life cycle and resist death, The life cycle of immortal jellyfish is the process from hydra to jellyfish, from reproduction, growth, And then returning to the stage of sexual immutability to start a new life. This jellyfish’s extraordinary vitality and capacity for constant renewal offer us a model of eternal life from nature.
Overall, the “The Immortalist” project encapsulates the human aspiration for eternal life and parallels the resilience of the immortal jellyfish with our pursuit of longevity. Hence, I aim to articulate this concept through the fusion of the form and movement of the immortal jellyfish with the human body.
How did you incorporate 3D modelling and printing into your design? Did this technology impact the final design’s aesthetic?
After observing the movement mode of immortal jellyfish, The fusion of jellyfish symbiosis is carried out on the human body, I used nomad modelling to make jellyfish change on the human body and then experimented and designed the silhouette based on the changed state. Next, to create the prototype. In addition, a circular structure is constructed by 3D modelling to experiment with different materials. Finally, the 3D printing pen can draw on the resin model. Based on nomad modelling, the silhouette of the model is disassembled, and the clothing is designed by combining the human body structure. And using 3D printing technology, print out the model with the same life-size scale. And draw with a 3D printing pen. And combined with the fabric.
For fabrics, I want to convert the life cycle of jellyfish into textile. So, wool felts of different colours are mixed and sandwiched between organza, and different knitting techniques are used to show different textures to present the form of hydra and jellyfish. Therefore, the 3D model is used as the base, and the wool-felt organza fabric is attached to the surface. Organza yarns of different colours reflect the interweaving of jellyfish and the human body, presenting the morphological concept I want to express. This technique showcases the transition from digital representation to tangible objects, and the framework crafted by 3D printing is elastic. Thus, when the model is touched or compressed, it rebounds like a jellyfish, offering a core that is firm yet springy, while the exterior is a soft fusion of organza wool felt and knitted yarn. This presents the appearance of a soft yet resilient symbiosis reminiscent of the eternal jellyfish-human symbiont. The irregular 3D model, paired with fabric, better captures the aesthetic of jellyfish in varied states.
At SWARM Mag, we are now focusing on the theme of SUGAR RUSH. Is there a particular candy that helps keep you energised while working?
I like Rossmann’s lavender sugar because lavender is my favourite plant. Moreover, the scent of lavender has a calming effect on me. Eating it at work helps me stay composed and energised for my tasks.
