This collection is a visual narrative of the damaging cycle of unhealthy love and the lasting trauma it can inflict. It begins with the purity of love—symbolized by the color white—representing the initial innocence and care. Slowly, the damage seeps in, represented by the merging of black with white, symbolizing heartbreak, trauma, distrust, and the feeling of never being enough. The beadwork, crisscrossed over the heart, suggests “stitching” or “mending,” while the dangling beads evoke the imagery of blood and gore—highlighting the emotional wounds.
As the journey progresses, love is engulfed by a black shroud—dark, mysterious, and all-consuming. Eventually, love transforms into something entirely new: a being marked by the intensity of red. This is a love that is completely engrossed, permanently tainted and disfigured, hinting at the cyclical nature of love and heartbreak. The shift represents the metamorphosis that occurs when trauma completely overtakes one’s sense of self, leaving them almost unrecognizable.
Through my designs, I aim to translate these traumatic bonds, heartbreak, and mental strain into wearable art. In particular, this collection explores high-end eveningwear and luxury silhouettes, using glamour to juxtapose the vulnerability that often lies beneath the surface. The use of lace showcases the body beneath the fabric, embracing the idea that we hide our true selves behind layers of masks in relationships—always trying to be the perfect version of someone for another. The beadwork hints that, no matter how much we give, we may never be enough for someone undeserving of our love, revealing that our vulnerability and emotional wounds inevitably seep through the outer shell we’ve created.
The stitched and mended designs represent the continuous cycle of self-repair for the sake of another, until the trauma becomes so consuming that we no longer recognize ourselves. This collection captures the idea that love, when tainted by damage, transforms us into something entirely different—perhaps not even the person we once were.
