The history of fashion is shaped by iconic moments and trends, but also by micro-narratives that continually resurface. Referring to them as "narratives" rather than trends is more fitting, as they often don't lead to widespread global movements, but instead create memorable chapters that leave a lasting mark. These moments are frequently tied to conceptual design or specific events.
Consider, for example, the evolution of the bed dress: starting from early experiments in the '80s blending fashion and interior design, it transformed over the years and was re-imagined during the pandemic, eventually giving rise to more wearable styles, like quilted designs and pillow-inspired garments. The same applies to table dresses, sometimes incorporating tablecloths or even complex structures that integrated entire pieces of furniture. These conceptual works often conveyed powerful stories, including those of refugees carrying their belongings.
Japanese designer and artist Seiran Tsuno recently introduced two new versions of a bed dress and a table dress.
Born in 1990, Tsuno studied nursing and then started working in a psychiatric hospital. Drawn to the creative arts, she later enrolled at Coconogacco, a Tokyo-based fashion school, where she explored innovative techniques, experimented with recycled materials, and eventually began using a 3D pen to create pieces by drawing in mid-air.
Tsuno then pursued her master's degree at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, in Professor Asa Ito's laboratory at the Future of Humanity Research Center. Here Tsuno focused her research on unconventional bodies, particularly plus-sized figures, inspired by her personal experiences in accepting her own body.
Tsuno has continued to develop projects exploring how to navigate life with a body that doesn't conform to societal norms. For her, clothing production is directly tied to how we relate to our bodies; she views clothes as a protective membrane for the body.
Additionally, she thinks that making one's own clothes can help people who struggle with body image reconnect with themselves - an act of reclaiming their bodies through creation.
In earlier projects, Tsuno drew inspiration from her wheelchair-bound grandmother, who became her muse and model, and she created designs that looked like wearable sculptures. However, as her grandmother's mobility declined and she became bedridden, Tsuno noticed how her body seemed to flatten and meld with the bed, relying increasingly on caregivers for support. Observing these physical limitations, Tsuno decided to launch a sort of collaboration with her.
As first project she did a simple collage of clothes arranged on her grandmother's body as she lay in her bed. Then, inspired by her grandmother's love for making clothes and by her closet full of fabrics, they worked together on a new design. Her grandmother, who favored red, selected the color to complement her white hair, and together they selected the materials.
Further hospitalizations weakened her grandmother, but, once she returned home, Tsuno continued working on the dress while caring for her. As her health gradually improved, Tsuno completed the design: it's interesting to note how Tsuno didn't focus on practicality or caregiving needs for this design; instead, she aimed for grandeur, creating a bold, curvaceous, and bulbous suit integrated into a large bed sheet. The ensemble, along with a series of photographs and sketches, was exhibited last year at Fuji Textile Week, showcasing the fusion of personal care and artistic expression.
The tile of the project was "Nen Nensai Sai", a title that can be roughly translated as "Year after year, season after season, a reference to Tsuno's grandmother's favourite poem that states "the flowers appear similar year after year, but people are never the same from year to year," meaning that while flowers bloom the same every year, human life constantly changes.
More recently Tsuno developed another unique garment - a "Dining Dress" for her project "The Wishing Table" (the dress was made in collaboration with Koromos). The design cleverly integrates a table, a nod to Tsuno's family roots (her family once owned a restaurant), and serves as a way to bring family, friends, and caregivers together.
Typically, when someone is bedridden, the bed becomes a barrier, isolating them as they passively receive food, unable to share meals with others. This dress, instead, breaks that barrier. The bed becomes part of the table, inviting people to sit around it and share a meal with the bedridden person. The project is accompanied by a video that captures Tsuno's grandmother, bed-bound, wearing the dress and allowing other people to gather with her at the dining table.
The project, which is currently on display at the Seto Shinkin Bank Art Gallery (Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan; until November 4th) aims to break the stigma surrounding illness by encouraging interaction and connection, challenging the isolation often associated with sickness and inviting a rethinking of caregiving and communal spaces.
Fashion-wise it is also fascinating to see how concepts like the bed or table dress have evolved over the decades to embrace a wider array of individuals, promoting inclusion and addressing diverse body shapes and needs.
Image credits for this post
All images in this post by Seiran Tsuno
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