My senior thesis is titled “Alice in Bummerland.” Much like Alice, the entire world fell into a reality that felt completely unfamiliar. This collection represents just a portion of the feelings and experiences that can occur when one is isolated from “normalcy” for a long time.

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The Alice Dress represents the unraveling of it all. The reality that "Alice" (or in reality, the world) knows is just slowly coming apart, much like the denim. 

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The Morning Glory Set symbolizes trying to maintain that sense of tranquility, organization, and go-getter attitude with which is a stark contrast to the world around slowly becoming more chaotic. With its matching top and skirt in soft pinks, they have a very put-together and soft aesthetic. 

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The Wild Flower Top and Acid Cloud Jeans represent the more laid back attitude that living/working at home so long inevitably brings. The oversized shirt and wide legged jeans have a very casual and relaxed attitude.

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The Shy Violet Top and Marigold Skirt symbolizes the still calm days, the dog days of the whole event. The warmth of the skirt mixed with the soft purple of the top represent those calm but hot summer days. 

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The Queen Sleeve Shirtdress and Floral Trousers represents when everyone has been around each other for too long and everyone starts taking up more space (much like the actual sleeves of the top). People get irritated more easily and like the Red Queen loses their temper at everyone. 

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The Day to Night Dress symbolizes the blend of days and nights, much like the two colors on the dress. You lose track what day it is. It feels like time is moving back and forth rather than purely forward. 

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The Chrysalis Dress represents self-discovery and change to yourself that can occur. The front of the dress has an oval like shape much like a chrysalis while the back has folds that looks like a butterfly emerging form said cocoon.  

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The Tea Time suit is about finding your rhythm in the new, strange world and learning to embrace and adjust to the new way of living. The hat, which I also made, is my version of the Mad Hatter tophat. 

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The motto for this collection is “Make Do and Do Make” as a lot of the design decisions came from the need to be productive and involved with as much of the process as possible. This is why a lot of the textiles are hand dyed or smocked. I really wanted this collection to be a product of my own handiwork and make the most of my time being home and working on this collection. This whole collection was made using a home sewing machine and serger.

 

Working from home also encouraged me to use materials sourced locally. I went to a couple Goodwills to source for materials. From the items, I thrifted, I ended up using some donated curtains for the Shy Violet Top and two rolls of denim (quite a find!) was used for the Alice Dress, Tea Time Suit, and Acid Cloud Jeans.  Other materials I sourced was an old childhood bedsheet which became the Floral Trousers; some calico my mom had kept from her quilting days which was used in the Tea Time Suit; and another old bedsheet was used for the Chrysalis Dress.