Designer Profile 2022: Jessica Xiong
Hi guys! I’m jess, and I’m a first year double majoring in economics and art history. Outside of MODA, I do some illustration and also just draw for fun. I also like horse riding and bullying my siblings.
Give me the run down of your collection:
My first design (from left to right) was inspired by that one time I went hiking with my friends and one of them wore a long, flowy dress. We were walking near a stream and the ends of the dress got wet, and I just really liked the way the dress flowed in the water. That’s kind of what I’m trying to recreate.
The second design was inspired by evening dresses in the 90s as well as a skirt I had found in my mother’s closet. There’s a lot of lace in the skirt, and I want the lace in my design to create an ombre that blends into the white skirt underneath. There’s a lot of layering in this design which I find super fun.
I’m still not too sure where I’m gonna end up with the third design. I think I’ll just go with whatever is in my mind when I start sewing it. It’s probably going to end up looking very different, we’ll see!
What are some of your sources of inspiration for this collection?
I used to do ballet and figure skating, so I often tried to design my own leotards for fun. That kind of stuck with me, so I take a lot of my inspiration from costumes worn by dancers and skaters. I especially like Anna Scherbakov’s costumes. I was also inspired by some of my favorite painters: Georges Rochegross, Rae Klein, and Gaston La Touche and the muted colors color palette they used interspersed with areas of soft light. I also found myself listening to Tchaikovsky’s “June: Barcarolle” a lot while drawing out my designs, so I guess that was also a source of inspiration.
Have you ever done fashion design work before?
Nope! I was in DBC this year, so it was my first time getting exposed to the whole design process. I had no idea how a sewing machine worked before this.
What are some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the designing process?
The most challenging part of the design process is probably starting in the first place. As someone with very limited experience in sewing, I am often scared that I’ll screw up my designs and make some irreversible mistakes, but it gets a lot easier once you start. Most things I learned on the go.
Who do you have in mind when you’re designing?
I like to keep movement in mind when I’m designing. I want my designs to flow very well and enhance rather than hinder the model’s movements, so I try and stay away from anything too stiff or restricting.
What’s your favorite aspect of the design process?
My favorite aspect of the design process is definitely when I am putting all the ideas in my head on paper. I really like to draw, so I find it very fun to sketch out all the designs.
What are you looking forward to most about the show?
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone else’s designs!
All Images provided by Jessica Xiong
