Changyan Jiang
In the search for a safe space, the student centered their design around the dialogue between trees and buildings, exploring the interplay of natural and man-made structures. The garment echoes the role of trees in nature: offering shelter, freedom, and a sense of quiet resilience. It becomes a wearable sanctuary, stretching and cascading like branches, with hollowed forms and angular volumes that evoke both organic growth and architectural tension.
An internal waistband anchors the coat’s silhouette, allowing it to play with sharp lines and geometric peaks that rise at the elbows and expand at the hem across the floor. In contrast, a dynamic pleat at the back introduces softness—transitioning from a fitted front to a voluminous curve. The fabric palette combines heavy and medium-weight cotton, cotton jersey, silk organza, velvet, and heavyweight linen. Rendered in earthy tones of black, brown, and deep red, the materials evoke the textures and colors of bark, soil, and shadow—grounding the piece in nature.
