About Me
A BA(Hons) Fashion graduate from Heriot-Watt University
As a Scottish Chinese creative I’m highly interested in developing ideas through using my cultural backgrounds as a starting point or as key ideas. I'm often intrigued to learn new things about my culture as there are still many things I am unaware of and so I'm fascinated to learn more and share this through creative ideas.
With a focus on contemporary ideas, I often incorporate elements of my culture such as traditional details or techniques. I enjoy experimenting with different ideas through fabric manipulation and prints to create interesting and fun ideas. My graduate collection ‘Before It’s Gone’ is a Spring/Summer 2022 womenswear collection which explores the declining ethnic group Hoklo and its fisherfolk backgrounds in Hong Kong. Through contemporary styles with prints and fabric manipulation inspired by the culture, the collection aims to preserve elements of it before it’s forgotten.
INSPIRATION
The idea behind the collection is to preserve parts of the culture before it’s completely forgotten.
My collection began with the research into my mums hometown Sha Tau Kok – a restricted area of Hong Kong and her Hoklo roots. Sha Tau Kok is the home of many ethnic groups including Hoklo. The fishing backgrounds of Hoklo led my research into Fisherfolk culture of Hong Kong. The cultures and ethnic groups like these are declining due to many reasons and soon they will be forgotten completely. With this in mind, I wanted to preserve elements of Hoklo and Fisherfolk culture through fun contemporary ideas.
Exploring the Hoklo culture, I was fascinated by the handmade baby carriers and highly embellished costumes made for their celebratory events. I believed that these elements represented the culture very well and so these were the key ideas that I wanted to include in my collection. Furthermore, the net making craftsmanship of Fisherfolks are also declining so through experimentation with knotting and net making I wanted to highlight this area in a contemporary way.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Research Board 1 – Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong
Research Board 2 – Fisherfolks of Hong Kong
Fabric Sampling inspired by Fisherfolk Culture
Development inspired by Hoklo Culture
Colour and Fabric Board
Final Line Up of 8 Outfits
Look 1
Look 1 Dress Toile Development
Look 2
Look 3
Look 3 Knotted Skirt Toile Development
Look 4
Look 4 Net Crop Top Toile Development
Range Board Outfit 1 - 4
Range Board Outfit 5 - 8
Final Outfit One
Final Outfit Two
Final Outfit Three
Final Outfit Four
DETAIL
I combined elements inspired by Hoklo, Fisherfolk and Chinese culture with contemporary ideas.
With a vibrant and eye-catching colour palette, the collection hints at a sense of playfulness and celebration, reflecting the warm and welcoming celebratory events of the Hoklo culture. The layering of garments in different ways with a combination of different colours and textures emphasises the endless options of styling withing the collection. Garments are layered in different ways with different colours and texture combinations for endless options. Pieces can be layered and worn on its own, making it suitable for both cool spring and warm summer weather. A range of quality fabrics are used which includes a selection of silks, cotton, bamboo and linen fabrics alongside net and knotting fabric manipulation pieced. The creative net weaves and fabric knotting with embellishments are heavily inspired by the fishnet making skills of fisherfolks and the iconic handmade baby carriers.
"Cultural heritage define the uniqueness of individuals. Appreciate cultural diversity." - Lailah Gifty Akita
Graduate Fashion Week in partnership with:
