Dezeen school performance: We’ve selected seven design projects presented at Dezeen School Shows that explore identity and self-expression through fashion.
These fashion design students have created garments that respond to different social and cultural environments through experimentation and a combination of traditional and modern textile techniques.
This roundup includes a collection that celebrates Ukrainian culture and a clothing line inspired by 1970s British punk.
The selection of projects comes from fashion and textile design courses at international institutions including University of Arts Linz, Hong Kong Design Institute, Kingston School of Art, Design Institute of Australia and Bath Spa University.
KitschCampCraft by Johanna Rappersberger
BA (Hons) Fashion and Technology student Johanna Rappersberger has created a collection that aims to experiment with conventional textile traditions.
Entitled KitschCampCraft, Rappersberger’s collection plays with the various parts that make up fashion processes, such as textiles, visual patterns and clothing.
“Textile habits are undermined. Visual patterns are disrupted. Conventional clothing is infiltrated,” Rappersberger said. “KitschCampCraft explores new ways of dressing, seeing and creating.”
The author of the image is Anna Breit.
Student: Johanna Rappersberger
School: University of Arts in Linz
Course: BA (Hons) Fashion and Technology
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Unchained by Cowen Yeung
HD in Fashion Design student Cowen Yeung has designed a series of clothing pieces inspired by punk music, rebellion and a sense of dissatisfaction with society.
Through the spirit and meaning behind the term punk, Yeung’s collection titled Unrestrained aims to give voice to the thoughts and ideas of young people.
“The theme of unrestrainedness comes from the 1970s during economic instability in Britain,” Yeung said. “The punk spirit has a primitive meaning: be yourself and bravely practice your own ideas in the moment.”
Student: Cowen Yeung
School: Hong Kong Design Institute
Course: HD in fashionable design
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Where is my teenage dream? by Lydia James
BA (Hons) Fashion student Lydia James has created eight different looks by mixing knitwear and denim, which aim to convey her teenage emotions as she grows up.
Where is my teenage dream? she drew on James’ personal experiences, as well as the music and movies she enjoyed as a teenager.
“Where’s My Teenage Dream? explores adolescence, the ever-changing landscape of teenagers and the traumas of adolescence,” said James. “Silhouette [of the collection] it mimics being a teenager, stunning, overgrown, playful and bulky.”
Student: Lydia James
School: Kingston School of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Fashion
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Skyfox by Emma Daley
Emma Daley an, an advanced applied fashion design and merchandising student, has created a series of clothing pieces that feature hand drawings screen printed onto satin.
Titled Skyfox, Daley’s collection aims to convey the human emotional response to different times of the day by combining traditional hand-manipulated textile techniques with digital technology.
“The Skyfox collection expresses the natural wonder of the sky and depicts a sense of dreaming, thinking and imagination,” said Daley. “The cloudy sky is a satin and digitally printed tulle that feels soft and muted, and the water-filled cloud is weighted crepe de chine, heavy and dense.”
Student: Emma Daley
School: Design Institute of Australia
Course: Advanced Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising at North Metropolitan TAFE
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Complex divorce of Zhanna Moskalyova
BA (Hons) Fashion student Zhanna Moskalyova has designed a set of clothes that celebrate her Ukrainian roots.
Moskaly’s collection, titled Complex Divorce, conveys her divided heritage between Ukraine and Russia, referencing photographs of abandoned former Soviet countries.
“In the last few months, with the ongoing war, the development of my collection has taken on a deeper and more personal meaning,” Moskaly said. “The research of the collection forms the basis of the constructed story of my family history.”
Student: Žanna Moskalyová
School: Kingston School of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Fashion
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Performed by Elena Alexandrová
BA (Hons) Fashion and Technology student Elena Alexander has designed a ‘corset’ that aims to redefine the traditional look and use of clothing.
Called Embodiment, Alexander has produced a corset that aims to do the opposite of the body suppression that this historical type of clothing is known for.
“Clothes can act as a cast, suppressing the body and creating a kind of armor at the same time, which is the difference between the outside world and the inside world,” Alexander said. “This process forms a new body shell – a shell of anonymity, androgyny and armor.”
The author of the image is Anna Breit.
Student: Elena Alexandrova
School: University of Arts in Linz
Course: BA (Hons) Fashion and Technology
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Kimono design by Sophie Bowen
MA (Textile Design) student Sophie Bowen has produced two kimonos that aim to connect people with nature.
Bowen’s design process began with hand drawings, which she later transformed into a variety of sustainable textile techniques such as natural dyeing, printing and hand embroidery.
“These ‘heritage’ pieces are seen as pathways designed to embody the process of being with a sense of acceptance and gratitude for change and growth,” Bowen said. “The Japanese Zen tradition and Wabi-Sabi influence the philosophy of this project, which reflects the idea that truth comes from observation in nature.”
Student: Sophie Bowen
School: Bath Spa University
Course: MA (Design) Textiles
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Content of partnership
These projects are presented at school exhibitions by Dezeen partner institutions. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.