Bronze Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design · 2021
Monologue Transformative Fashion
by Joyce Li
- A' Design Award 2021 Bronze Winner in Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Chiayi
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 20,524
- Verification code C906B1B4A7 · Verify this award
About Monologue Transformative Fashion
Monologue is a transformable fashion collection that provides portable private spaces for the wearer. Each garment holds lightweight, expandable structures that open to form a personal shelter and close again when not needed. A dress becomes a sleeping bag, jackets include built-in face coverings, and tops expand into tents. The structures are inspired by the engineering of children's pop-up books and are built with tailoring materials such as neoprene, silk-wool blends, cotton twill and horsehair. The linings are printed with hand-painted, calming imagery in monochrome tones.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The collection explores transformable garments that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy& protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with built-in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes of psychologically soothing imagery.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The collection consists of 5 looks in size 6.
- Tags
- transformative fashion, Wearable Sculpture, Monochrome, Interactive Designs, Prints Design
- Production Technology
- To provide stability and structure to the pop-up silhouettes, each garment is provided with different under fabric structures. I produced neoprene with fusible, double-bonded silk-wool blend, cotton twill fused with horsehair and batting, and wool fused with horsehair. In addition, I painted the lining prints with Gouache and set the patterns to on repeat in Photoshop. The final patterns are printed on silk crepe and poly charmuese.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge of this collection is to fully realize its concept and transformations in fabrics. How could I effectively set up a personal space by myself, and where could I hide it in my garments so these spaces are portable. Precise measurements and accurate patterns are keys to ensure the stability of structures as well as smooth expansion and concealing of the pop-ups spaces. In addition to the construction, material choices are just as crucial. For Monologue, all the materials applied are materials only used for garments constructions which makes the collection very wearable. Varying different functions, the rigidness may change, therefore fabrics for each design are specifically engineered to sustain the function. Through several trial and errors, I have designed a series of fabric and support for each look.
- Project Duration
- Monologue started in June 2019 and was completed in August 2020. The collection is exhibited on "Here and Now," a digital celebration created by Parsons School of Design in collaboration with Solange’s Saint Heron.
- Operation Flow
- All designs in this collection are transformable into two looks minimum. The wearer can adjust the garments to fit one's emotional state accordingly. Depending on the level of privacy desired, the garments can be adjusted. Despited the seemingly experimental concept, the designs are fairly wearble due to the materials used are strictly tailoring materials.
- Research
- The strcutres of this collection referenced children's pop-up book, with beautifully rendered sceneries that draw the readers into its imaginative world, the collection aims to achieve the same effect - to transform the wearer into delicate and soothing narratives.
Expanding the garment is as one would with a book. The garments are engineered to expand effortlessly by the wearer. The collection is fully embedded with little surprises, emphasizing fashion is beyond garments. - Inspiration
- Monologue examines humanity's need to protect itself from our Increasingly oppressive external environment; it maximizes the utilitarian function of clothing by providing portable safe spaces. Constructed using traditional tailoring techniques, each form draws
inspiration from engineering methods used in children’s pop-up books. Although it was not the initial impetus for Monologue, Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of isolation and distancing oneself from the world to regain stability. - Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Sanko Chi, 2020.
Image #2: Photographer Alessandra Bonizzi, 2020.
Image #3: Photographer Alessandra Bonizzi, 2020.
Image #4: Photographer Alessandra Bonizzi, 2020.
Image #5: Photographer Alessandra Bonizzi, 2020. - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Joyce Li, 2020.
Colors of Monologue Transformative Fashion
Design Interview about Monologue Transformative Fashion
Monologue examines humanity's need to protect itself from our increasingly oppressive external environment. The collection explores transformable garments
that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy and protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with built-in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated into the collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes of psychologically soothing imagery. Visible only to the wearer, printed silk images of a calming night sky or optimistic sunrise create an accessible escape for the wearer.
that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy and protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with built-in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated into the collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes of psychologically soothing imagery. Visible only to the wearer, printed silk images of a calming night sky or optimistic sunrise create an accessible escape for the wearer.
Monologue maximizes the utilitarian function of clothing by providing portable safe spaces. Constructed using traditional tailoring techniques, each form also draws inspiration from engineering methods used in children’s pop-up books. Although it was not the initial impetus for this collection, Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of self-protection and distance. The turmoil we endured during quarantine has further contextualized the significance of isolation. In ways, we learn to distance ourselves from instability and chaos aroused by the pandemic and remain calm and optimistic towards the future.
It took me an entire year, starting from the initial concept, to testing various fabric structures at a miniature scale, and eventually drafting patterns for full-scale garments. The process involved numerous stages of trial and error, from creating the final garment to preparing it for the photoshoot.
The desire for serenity initiated the objective of Monologue - to temporarily withdraw our focuses from the overcrowded, saturated thoughts, in order to have a genuine conversation with ourselves. To find out what it is that we truly need and the goals to accomplish are the sole purposes of this temporary escape- an optimistic approach to regain control of our lives.
The collection explores transformable garments that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy& protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with built-in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes of psychologically soothing imagery.
The collection explores transformable garments that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy& protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with built-in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes of psychologically soothing imagery.
To provide stability and structure to the pop-up silhouettes, each garment is provided with different under fabric structures. I produced neoprene with fusible, double-bonded silk-wool blend, cotton twill fused with horsehair and batting, and wool fused with horsehair. In addition, I painted the lining prints with Gouache and set the patterns to on repeat in Photoshop. The final patterns are printed on silk crepe and poly charmuese.
The main challenge of this collection is to fully realize its concept and transformations in fabrics. How could I effectively set up a personal space by myself, and where could I hide it in my garments so these spaces are portable. Precise measurements and accurate patterns are keys to ensure the stability of structures as well as smooth expansion and concealing of the pop-ups spaces. In addition to the construction, material choices are just as crucial. For Monologue, all the materials applied are materials only used for garments constructions which makes the collection very wearable. Varying different functions, the rigidness may change, therefore fabrics for each design are specifically engineered to sustain the function. Through several trial and errors, I have designed a series of fabric and support for each look.