River to Ocean 全性别时装系列 by Qiongxin Kou and Yiyao Nie

River to Ocean 全性别时装系列 by Qiongxin Kou and Yiyao Nie is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 银奖 in 时装、服饰与服装设计 Competition Category.

银时装· 2021

River to Ocean 全性别时装系列

by Qiongxin Kou and Yiyao Nie

Client: Yiyao Nie & Qiongxin Kou

A' Design Award 银奖 Winner in 时装 Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About River to Ocean 全性别时装系列

《River to Ocean（河流入海）》是一个由六套造型组成的全性别时装系列。系列分为三大主题：邂逅花朵、邂逅空气与邂逅大地。每个主题包含一套女装造型和一套男装造型，采用相同的版型但搭配不同的色彩组合。层叠结构、褶裥以及手工制作的细小花朵细节，赋予服装流动般的韵律感。设计师专门开发了定制面料，并通过一种全新的面料再造手法将剩余布料重新利用，以避免浪费。帽子与其中一件马甲采用树脂3D打印制作，再由手工组装，宛如可穿戴的雕塑作品。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 银奖

River to Ocean 全性别时装系列是 A' Design Award 银奖得主，这是授予顶级、华美而令人印象深刻的设计的极为崇高的认可。银奖得主是极其卓越、极具创造力的作品，展现出其设计师杰出的专业技能、才华与敏锐。预计River to Ocean 全性别时装系列将成为一件出色的典范之作，兼具非凡的专业性与深刻的创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 银奖的设计是一项备受瞩目、令人钦佩的发明，造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。River to Ocean 全性别时装系列是一件令人羡慕的创作，它唤起渴望，带来积极的情感，并激发惊叹与赞叹。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This capsule collection contains 6 looks in total, and it was divided into 3 themes which are “Meet with flowers”, “Meet with air”, and “Meet with earth”, which are also three metaphorical elements as one’s diverse experience in life to help him/her to see the true self. Each theme is made up of one female look and one male look in the same pattern but different color palettes.
Dimensions & Packaging: This all-gender collection has 3 womenswear looks and 3 menswear looks, size medium.
Tags: Haute couture and technology, textile design, 3d new media art, sustainable design, human well-being, social mental care, 3D printed Design, Sculptures
Production Technology: We created our own fabrics for flower and air themes, and always keep in mind to develop collections in different sustainable ways. In this one, Kou explored a way to zero waste the fabrics by a new fabric manipulation method. Traditionally, zero waste has been more adopted on garments’ constructions, but since Kou is always interested in textile design, she turned her attention on fabrics themselves at this time and created a new form of fabric which could not only re-use leftover fabric pieces but also presented them into an abundant mix-textured quality piece. The constructions in this collection are romantically dynamic. Layerings, pleats, and a hint of ruffles gave each look a fluid movement, and while the fabrics were flowing, people could see small flower details swaying with them together which were hand made and attached on different spots on the garment. In addition to the textile and couture techniques, some pieces in this collection were created with 3D technique by Nie.
The hats in flower theme and the vest in theme air are 3D modeled in superstructural constructions to mimic different forms in moments of how water drops on flowers or collide with rocks. They were printed with white resin in this collection and will be printed in clear color materials with different sizes furtherly.
The hats in flower theme and the vest in theme air are created and designed in 3D software first, then 3d printed into small parts using resin materials, and finally painted and assembled by hand as a wearable sculpture.
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge here is to transform the new media art form of sculpture into a wearable comfortable fashion hat and vest.
3D artist Yiyao Nie firstly created and designed the look of hat and vest in 3d software, and then discussed and adjusted with fashion designer Qiongxin Kou to make it closer to a comfortable piece ready to wear. The vest is designed and broken down into small pieces, easy to freely assemble to different forms, giving the vest a more dynamic look.
Research: This collection is a collaboration between fashion/textile designer Qiongxin Kou and 3d artist/creative technologist Yiyao Nie. We both are very interested in the theme of nature and humans inside nature. Starting the research by getting inspiration from nature itself, we travel and feel it. The pure and raw emotion from our heart about our own life in the world is the key string in this collection.
This cross-field collaboration between fashion and new media art gives us more creative ideas and the ability to remember and freeze our feeling or emotion about life in time, like the journey of “River To Ocean”, seeing who you are while flowing your way. In fact, to accept self or see who we really are is the most challenging thing in life, as been told by Kou's father who has been working in psychology for over 20 years, many people use their whole lives to compromise with themselves, to heal the pain they got from childhood hard memories or frustrating time that had destroyed their confidences. To know, to see and to accept oneself could create beautiful moments in life, this principle will release so much pain and build so much courage and brightness, and this goal forms the essential thought for this collection.
Inspiration: “River To Ocean”, seeing who you are while flowing your way. This concept is a metaphor to illustrate the moment in a life that one who finally finds a true self throughout his/her past experiences. As a Chinese proverb has been said, “The small me meets the big me” which means that we will bravely face up to and accept true selves throughout what we’ve experienced.
Project Duration: “River To Ocean”is made for and showcased in London Fashion Week 2020 F/W. It started from December 2019, and ends up February 2020. The whole making process had been done in New York and California.
Operation Flow: This collection is in a fresh color palette and various soft fabric types. The 3D printing pieces are in big silhouettes but fairly light weight. When you wear the garments, you’ll not only have a comfortable touch on fabrics but also will be amazed by the hand made textile details around your body. With putting on the 3D printing piece, you can flexibly move but need to pay attention to things around you due to its volume structure.
Patents: Qiongxin Kou
Yiyao Nie
Team Members: Fashion/Textile Designer: Qiongxin Kou
3D Artist/Creative Technologist: Yiyao Nie
Image Credits: Qiongxin Kou
Yiyao Nie