Parsons School of Design
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Apparel / Formal/Couture / Womenswear
My location: New York, United States
First Name: Shiqi
Last Name: Xu
University / College: Parsons School of Design
Course / Program: Fashion Design BFA
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Apparel / Formal/Couture / Womenswear
My Location: New York, United States
I love looking in the mirror. As I gaze into any reflective surface, my eyes are drawn to my own reflection. It's a shared fascination in our modern society, where selfie provides a similar form of a mirror. My thesis delves into this unconscious behavior and transforms it in a poetic way. French psychoanalyst, Lucan's mirror theory, posits that the reflection in the mirror represents our "ideal-i," the embodiment of our deepest desires. Thus, myself and those like me keep looking in the mirror, striving to embody this ideal image, posing and scrutinizing ourselves to approximate its likeness. Though we possess a robust sense of self, we lack a sense of control and certainty. In Greek mythology, the tale of a man who fell in love with his own reflection in the water and drowned, transforming into a narcissus fower by the river, gave rise to the word narcissism. Despite its derogatory connotations, I found myself captivated by the romanticism of self-love and acceptance.The metaphor of " turning into flowers" serves as the main design methodology for both textile and silhouett development. Each fime we observe ourselves in the mirror, our reflection is both similar and distinct, influenced by the angle, distance, and, most importantly, our physical and emotional state at that moment. Imperfections and perfections harmonize to create a unified whole. Through this collection, I aim to empower individuals like myself to embrace and appreciate every facet of our fragmented images, cultivating a robust sense of self-love.