Cladding in (intimate) grief

Fo Phan

The gloom and darkness, the beauty of the aged and a celebration of grief.

I have chosen to work with a subject that touches me personally and reflects a state of mind I am in. It is about grief and I want to find a way to bring it into a fashion context in a respectful way. It's also about exploring grief in relation to cultural codes, my own dual identity. 

In the collection, each look reflects a persona with symbolic garments and attributes. Each look also involves a negotiation between covered and uncovered; how much of the body is allowed to be seen with respect to cultural norms and values. What happens when more conservative environments' demands for bodily integrity and dignity meet the fashion world's often hedonistic and sexualized exposure of the body?  

Based on the topic of mourning and cultural considerations, I have chosen to work with a formal funeral dress, which I have deconstructed and recoded in a way that I consider worthy. Abstract interpretations of iris flowers - a feature of Chinese funerals - play an important role in the collection. What happens to the symbolism when the flower is placed in a new context? For me, grief is something intimate and it is not a given that it can be expressed in the realm of fashion.

Contact:
fophan@live.com
+ 46 76 058 63 29
fophan.com
instagram.com/fo.phan

Thanks to:
Linchao Zhang, Ali Akbari, Kemal Aviciikovic, Emelie Lundin, Tobex AB and Vagabond.