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(Archive) SEE through COLOURS

This project was part of DDW 2023
Inspiration, moulage and sketches — © HongKai Li

“SEE through COLOURS” is a collection that tries to use colours and silhouettes in garments to blur the boundaries between races and genders.

Read through metaphors

Since when have we associated colours with race and gender? We're labelled by society the moment we're born, such as with gender, race, and nationality, and it's our personal preferences and decisions that allow us to recognise each other. Clothing and colour serve as mediums with the same functionality.

In this project, some designs are muscular, some are feminine, some fall in between, and some are genderless. Additionally, colour is considered a visual language that can strongly impact our decision-making. Thus, I experimented with and tested the possibilities of colours by using layering and scaling methods, including gendered colours like blue and pink.

Let garments be, stop genderization!

In ancient Asian fashion, the flat pattern technique played an important role, as it allowed clothing to be suitable for all genders and body types. Tie-up techniques were often employed to ensure the clothing maintained a proper fit on the body.

Inspired by these intricate Asian costume details and methods, I amalgamated them with classical Western garments such as suit pants and trench coats...

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Colour selection, textiles and sketches — © HongKai Li

Look 01-04 — © ArtEZ graduation fashion show 2023

Look 05-08 — © ArtEZ graduation fashion show 2023