A short summary of your project
I'm raising £2000 to carry out my final major project which which will be used for the fabrics and trimmings sourcing, sewing machine and mannequin which I've had to get during lockdown because of the restricted access to facilities. The money will go towards paying for the materials required for this make project.
Who are you?
I am Joe Cheng, a level 6 student at Kingston University's Fashion BA. I am a womenswear/ androgyne designer.
Your story
From the disfigured bodies of the nuclear power plant disaster of Chernobyl 1986, i found beauty in disintegration. I started deconstructing a baby carrier (pram) which resulted in a series of experiments using its inner foam padding. The deconstruction continues with an investigation on an easily-torn t-shirt prop. Through an imitation of the wear and tear, the highly fragile garment inspired the jersey aspect of the collection. Taking reference from the artist Lygia Clark, famous for her Obra Mole (1964), the collection focuses on creating a soft sculptural look with a juxtaposition of the ‘hard’ padded garments against the ‘soft’ jersey drapes. The theme of contrast is further seen in the prints created for the drapes. By experimenting with light and shadow, engineering the prints specifically to emphasise the shadows in the cowl drapes, depths of bright tones are revealed when in motion. This colour palette reflects better days ahead, coming out of the disaster, wishful in injecting a ray of brightness in the doom and gloom.
- All of my source pieces that inspired this project are sourced second hand at the end of life of the products. I upcycle them by taking them apart, draping and toiling with them. They served a purpose to the project until the very end. The inner foam padding of the baby carrier was even used for the shoulder pad of the jacket and the soft sculptural out-of-body silhouettes. some fabrics used for this project was sourced from headstock fabric from under the table in the studio. While the project is not fully sustainable, we wish to incorporate sustainable practices within the making by fully utilising each
- I crafted this collection in hopes of showing how the lifespan of a used (or even non-functional) object could have a second life. It is important for us to rethink the wastes we throw away, re-evaluate the items in our bins and reuse or donate them in a meaningful way.
Where will the money go?
- Sewing machine JUKI DDL8700: £460
- Mannequin Size S: £179
- Toiling test fabric material: £200
- Production material (fabrics and trimmings): £761
- Fabric printing: £400
Rewards
- I will personally thank the donors by sending out a coupon code for my products once the webpage is set up.
- 5% off total cart value when you donate £100
- 10% off total cart value when you donate £200
- 20% off total cart value when you donate £500 and above
Images and video
Find us here
@joechengstudio on Instagram.
Follow to find out more!
Help us succeed!
- Please share it with everyone you know as if you think it's a great idea, and the more people who know about it, the more likely this would work out brilliantly. Thank you so much.
