At the Brooklyn Museum, the next generation of designers speaks on storytelling, boundary-pushing, and the lessons they’ve collected thus far
New York Fashion Week is a stage upon which the up-and-coming flourish—a sentiment best-embodied by the Parsons MFA Show, hosted this year at the Brooklyn Museum. We Dem Kids showcases the labors of love of a diverse crew of aspiring creatives—Anna Roth, Chang Liu, Fabiola Soavelo, Hsiao-Han Kuo, Mel Corchando, Nan Jiang, Natsumi Aoki, Lorena Pipenco, Ren Haixi, Story, Siri, Sunny Ning, Yamil Arbaje, Ying Kong, and Yu Gong—hungry to make a name for themselves.
Document stopped by Parsons in the lead-up to the show, wading through castings and fittings to learn what went into the featured collections. Here, the next generation of designers speaks on storytelling, boundary-pushing, and the best advice they’ve collected over the course of their schooling.
Jody Bain: Tell us about the message behind your work, and why fashion design is the right medium to express it.
Ying Kong: I grew up in the internet age. Rapid information transmission blurs our awareness, posing a danger. I firmly believe that designers are communicators, and we have social responsibilities. I hope my brand, Ying Kong, acts as a communication center, addressing current life topics, encouraging introspection, and emphasizing social culture, diverse aesthetics, and the sensory. Clothing provides the most direct emotional communication through its visual and tactile aspects.
Jody: Is there a piece of advice that’s stuck with you from your time at Parsons?
Ying: Shelley Fox once told me that, when creativity hits a roadblock, always go back to research. I believe designers need to accumulate knowledge through extensive reading. Design inspiration should not be limited to visual reference images or aesthetic inertia. Extracting a few keywords from a book can open up new perspectives.
Jody: Tell us about the message behind your work, and why fashion design is the right medium to express it.
Lorena Pipenco: I grew up embarrassed of my Romanian culture. When I lived in London, there seemed to be such a distance between my heritage and myself; fashion has given me the chance to reconnect [with] moments in my childhood. Showcasing my designs acknowledges that the things I seemed to hate made me special, and who I am. Did I really ever hate where I came from? No—it was the judgment I felt that distanced me from my heritage. Fashion is a celebration of my heritage and my mother, who worked so hard to get me where I am today.
Jody: What feeling does this collection seek to invoke in your audience?
Lorena: I use my brand to tell forgotten stories, and hope that people feel the tension, sadness, and love within my work. This collection is rooted in being manipulated by society as a child, and learning, with time, the lies you were told—how your favorite movie as a kid probably has a darker meaning behind it. You still have a sense of warmth in your heart; I am showcasing and celebrating that feeling, [and communicating] our new, tangled emotions. This collection is personal to my experience with the Romanian movie Veronica, [but people can] relate to the concept in their own way.
Jody: Tell us about the message behind your work, and why fashion design is the right medium to express it.
Hsiao-Han Kuo: The Guide for Un-Isolation collection [seeks] to bring connection, joy, and healing to individuals who have experienced trauma, or simply had difficult days. Cloth is our second skin, which we must wear daily in this modern society. Fashion design allows me to explore the power of touch and the profound impact of clothing on physical comfort, mood, and emotion.
Jody: Tell me about your earliest memories associated with fashion.
Hsiao-Han: I grew up around a knitwear factory. People who work there usually don’t associate with the word fashion. But they are the most important; [they] bring everything to life. Despite having allergic rhinitis, I [spent my time] hiding and playing in the sample room. My parents work from nearly Monday to Sunday to finish orders from different brands. I can’t imagine the stress they’re facing. These are my earliest memories of fashion—it’s not pretty, but it’s reality.
Jody: Tell us about the message behind your work, and why fashion design is the right medium to express it.
Anna Roth: My work is an exploration in finding community. At the end of the day, we all need a group to fit into and work with. Fashion is a culturally significant way of expressing who we are and how we belong.
Jody: How has your design process evolved, from last season to now?
Anna: I have a stronger sense of myself, both in the process of making as well as in the final function of my pieces. I have let go of a lot of aesthetic aspirations, and have focused on play and functionality. Looking at performance and storytelling has been more compelling than trying to make my work fit into trends. Now, I am able to let my work speak for itself.
Jody: Tell us about the message behind your work, and why fashion design is the right medium to express it.
Nan Jiang: My collection explores themes of alienation and revelation. I have always felt a sense of dissociation in my life, but I rarely discuss this with others. It seems to be a common feeling for many people, where we wear a mask and hide our true selves. I want to delve beneath the surface of appearances and expose the scars, vulnerabilities, and chaos of the world.
I want to find a gateway to a ‘home’ that will fill the emptiness I feel. This home is not a physical place, but a psychological world—an escape from the cynicism of reality. I want my audience to be able to share this safe place, where we can express ourselves freely without fear of judgment or ridicule. Clothes are like my armor, protecting my inner self. I want to transmit this energy to those who wear my garments. I view fashion as an art form in a multimedia format, and I always aspire to combine elements that go beyond traditional boundaries.
Jody: How would you describe your experimentation process?
Nan: Playful. Each stage excites me, as I relish the opportunity to develop new materials and silhouettes while maintaining my aesthetics. A significant influence on my experimentation process is my passion for cult movies. I thrive on layering, adding, and embracing the ‘too much,’ especially when it comes to textiles. I find beauty in the unconventional, where perfection takes a back seat to boundless creativity.
