Esther Park — BFA Fashion Design 2023

Materiality

" RAISED BY A SWAN "

My mother is my swan. She is an elegant swan who protects her children with her mighty strength and power. She has crossed oceans to raise her young. She carries me under her warm wings that is my security blanket.

But when does this protection become overbearing? I am designing a womenswear collection that expresses the soft, the rough and the inbetween inspired by my relationship with my mother. I explore through textiles the illusion of what appears soft but actually feels rough.

Image: *" M Y S W A N " coat in bull denim embellished with enamel coated pumice stones*

Image: *" E M B R A C E " dress in hymo embellished in red enamel coated pumice stones*

Image: *Inspired by the card game "hwatu," I designed my own 6 card designs from photos of my mother and I in enamel called the [SHE IS...] series*

Image: " O N A L E A S H " dress is made out of moshi, a traditional Korean weave. It is embellished with enamel covered pumice stones to illustrate my design,
" O N A L E A S H " from the [SHE IS...] series. The series carries my 6 original card designs inspired by old photos of my mother and I.

Image: *Right: " S W A N T R E E " top in nylon ripstop with handpainted enamel*

Bio

Esther Park is a young fashion designer born in South Korea and raised in New Zealand. Currently based in New York, she focuses on materiality and how she can integrate her bicultural background and morals into her designs. The cornerstone of her work lies in combining traditional fabrics with innovative fabric manipulation and techniques.Through tapping into her core memories and portraying them in a universal way, Esther aims to remind her audience of these cherished moments with loved ones in the mundanities of their lives.

estherpark@studio.com

646-639-0207

Esther Park (@estherpark03)-Instagram