Flora Hu

The garment I chose was an old, white wedding skirt I had laying in a pile of clothes and fabric scraps I keep for future projects. I used the inside of the skirt to create she sheer dress and the exterior to create the mask headpiece. The reason I kept the materials white is because white has always been a prominent color in hospitals as well as futuristic settings. Amid this COVID-19 crisis, hospitals have played a huge part in the pushing forwards of our situation, working non-stop to save lives. Additionally, the world has seen a drastic turn to technology and digitization of activities, what can be seen as somewhat futuristic – a sort of virtual reality. The mask headpiece is sewn together roughly with holes as a representation of the efforts made prevent the consequences of the disease, but that there are still cracks and fallouts in the systems. The sheer dress represents my collection title “Hidden in Plain Sight,” symbolizing the invisibility and intangibility of the virus itself, but the very visible effects and consequences of the virus on people and communities worldwide. The idea of using what was readily available to me: old garments, a makeshift studio with trash bag drapes, and a self-timer iPhone camera, is also a reflection on how people are making the best out of what they have in order to make it through this pandemic.