Tianyu Wang

BFA Fashion Design Collections

Title: ANTI-SAUDADE

Updated: August 3rd

Saudade is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something that one cares for and/or loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return.
People long for stability and may afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone.
However, change is default in life, not the exception; transformation is baked into every aspect of our world, from physical growth to scientific progress. Novelty, meanwhile, is an antidote to boredom and stagnation.

My inspiration comes from my night photography in Shanghai.
Shanghai is my hometown and in the past few decades until now, people are experiencing urban house demolition, where new, modern architecture and facilities are replacing old houses and buildings. This made some people feel sad and depressed, as they may have strong emotional attachment with those old houses, like childhood memories, or they just appreciate the shabby, decaying look of old buildings.
I'm a person who always like old things, so I have a sense of melancholy when firstly seeing these modern changes. I interviewed a few people whose residential places were affected by the practice of urban house removing led by the government.

Surprisingly, elderly people have a more optimistic view about these changes comparing with younger people. They were wondering why the younger generation have more negative thoughts and always looking back to the gloomy past instead of future.
It can be considered as a dangerous thing. It may be a signifier that you hate how your life has turned out. It's a sign that one has mentally locked off, and may spend the precious life drifting in a false reverie of a past that didn't exist any more.

You don't drown from falling into water, but from staying there. The same idea applies to getting rid of the pointless Saudade.


Their words seem like guiding me into another perspective to consider the situation. When looking at the case through a more optimistic 'lens', I discovered the beauty of contemporary architecture and modern lighting decorations.
I used my camera to record these charming, joyful moments.

Look within, I discovered my deepest passions and desires, decided to be brave enough to weed out the negative parts in nostalgia.
We should not indulge ourselves in yearning for the past melancholically, instead, why not celebrate your life right now?
Try to become a conscious creator of your own happiness in reality.
Live in the moment. Enjoy the moment.

Emotion-based and sensitive, my work is inspired by time past. Nostalgia and physical decay guide most of my artistic choices, such as a muted color palette with a careful balance of subtle tones.
However, I challenged myself in my thesis collection to explore nostalgia in a more optimistic direction. By redefining ANTI-SAUDADE, I tried to get rid of the negative aspect and bring in a cool, joyful mood.
Experimenting with innovative techniques such as UV-printing and laser-cutting, constructing the prototypes like a sculptor, I reworked my theme with an element of poetic modernity into what turns out to be a new piece of Avant-garde fashion.
The same starting point, a different new world.
This is where one should look for the story.