Architecture has been the main focus of the last few posts, from arty igloos to innovative (and at times imaginary) solutions for high-rise apartment blocks. Yet, as we know pretty well from previous posts, architecture can also inspire intriguing structures for the body, as those ones from the S/S 18 collection of womenswear designer and Parsons School of Design's MFA graduate Di Gao.
A passionate fan of crocheting and knitting, Di Gao decided to move from traditional Chinese architecture and construction when she first started experimenting on this collection.
From a distance, the designs that resulted from her experiments look slightly reminiscent of Japanese samurai armours with their ribbed motifs evoking the intricate breastplates, but, when you look close up, you realise that the dresses bear an uncanny resemblance with stacked Chinese roof tiles.
The most interesting thing about Di Gao's designs remains the way she constructed her dresses: rather than knitting, the young designer started by crocheting a base layer with copper wire.
She then proceeded to recreate coloured ribbed knitted rows on this layer, adding to them drawstrings that allow to alter the shape and fit of the design.
The best thing about the collection, though, is probably not the architectural link, but the fact that these designs are all handmade. Looks like Di Gao may end up being a cool card to play for the next pavilion of The People's Republic of China at the next International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. As you may remember from a previous post, the 2016 pavilion had a strong link with fashion, so Di Gao's designs wouldn't look out of place in there.
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