"Creating new value from existing waste.Transforming negative perception of upcycled materials".
- HYBRID 2.6
THIS GRADUATE COLLECTION IS A SMALL SCALE TEST OF THE FUTURE BRAND HYBRID 2.6, PLANNED TO OPERATE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ESTABLISHED BRANDS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED MY CURRENT PROJECT AND SET TO LAUNCH IN THE UK POST-PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS. THE IDEA FOR THE BUSINESS IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE PROJECT AND UNDERPINS THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE BRAND ITSELF.
I BELIEVE THAT MY IDEA CAPTURES THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF CREATING VALUE OUT OF SURPLUS MATERIALS OR FAULTY GARMENTS BY USING WASTE AS A SOLUTION FOR THE CREATION OF BRAND NEW PRODUCTS. REUSING PRE-CONSUMED FASHION ITEMS AND POST-PRODUCTION SURPLUS FEEDS THESE MATERIALS BACK INTO THE PRODUCTION CHAIN UNDER A NEW BRAND NAME THEREBY REDUCING WASTE. I CHOOSE TO WORK WITHIN A SPECIFIC PRODUCT SECTOR BECAUSE OF THE ENDURING HIGH QUALITY OF THE PRODUCED WHICH, WHEN REUSED BRINGS ABOUT LONG-LASTING, MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS LESS LIKELY TO CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL HARM. MY AIM IS TO CREATE A MIX OF DIFFERENT BRANDED ITEMS BY DECONSTRUCTING THEM, THEN COMBINING THE PARTS TO CREATE A NEW ONE-OF-A-KIND LUXURY ÍTEM, A PROCESS, WHICH I REFER TO AS A HYBRIDIZATION. CREATING AN UP-CYCLED HYBRID FASHION TREND IN THIS WAY WILL ACT AS AN INTERMEDIARY AESTHETIC BETWEEN OPPOSING FASHION VISIONS ALLOWING CONSUMERS TO RECONSIDER THEIR VALUES WHEN IT COMES TO WARDROBE UPDATING.
WHILE THIS BUSINESS MODEL ACTS AS A CURRENT AND FUTURE BRAND PHILOSOPHY, THE COLLECTION PRESENTED HERE, INTRODUCES AND CELEBRATES KOREAN CULTURE FEATURING MY GARMENTS AND ACCESSORY DESIGNS AS PERFORMATIVE, INTERACTIVE, AND EDUCATIONAL TOOLS. IN THIS PARTICULAR COLLECTION, MY PIECES ARE MADE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO KOREAN CULTURE VIA KOREAN NATIONS DRINK SOJU, AND THE UNIQUE DRINKING ETIQUETTE BEHIND IT. FROM THE START, MY MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION HAS BEEN KOREAN HIP-HOP MUSIC, MORE SPECIFICALLY, A SONG NAMED SOJU BY KOREAN-AMERICAN RAPPER JAY PARK FT. 2 CHAINZ.
THIS IS MY PERSPECTIVE ON A PARTICULAR ASPECT OF KOREAN CULTURE AS AN OUTSIDER AND IS SHOWN HERE IN THE SPIRIT OF MY WISH TO CONTRIBUTE CREATIVELY TO A RESPECTFUL AND SHARED WORLD.
p.s.
MY VERY DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO PAUL SMITH AND BURBERRY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH EXCESS MATERIALS AND GARMENTS TO SUPPORT MY EFFORTS IN REDUCING POST-PRODUCTION WASTE AND IN REINTRODUCING MATERIALS BACK INTO THE PRODUCTION CHAIN AS NEW GARMENTS.
