London Design Gold

2026

Liquid Love

Entrant

Yaqi Zhan

Category

Fashion Design - Handmade

Client's Name

Country / Region

United States

“Liquid Love” is a fashion project inspired by old family photo albums featuring images of my parents and grandparents. Looking through these photographs, I became fascinated by the contrast between the enduring emotional bonds of the past and the increasingly fragile relationships experienced in contemporary life. Growing up, love and connection often felt stable and lasting, while modern relationships can quickly shift between closeness and emotional distance. The collection translates this emotional instability into sculptural silhouettes, handcrafted detailing, and fluid garment construction.



The project combines experimental print development with hand-crafted construction techniques. Custom prints were created through digital distortion, layering, image fragmentation, and marbling-inspired manipulations derived from blurred memories, liquid movement, and emotional transitions. These prints were engineered onto pleated textiles, allowing the imagery to shift and transform dynamically with movement. The pleating process creates unstable, liquid-like visual effects that continuously alter the perception of the garments.



The silhouettes were developed through direct draping and sculptural construction, creating forms that wrap, compress, and contour around the body. Each garment incorporates hand-finished details and individually attached hanging beadwork that resembles dripping liquid and dissolving emotional connections. The beadwork introduces movement, reflection, and texture while emphasizing the handcrafted nature of the collection. Through the combination of pleating, draping, beading, and unconventional proportions, the garments challenge traditional ideas of structure, permanence, and wearability.



By integrating conceptual storytelling with experimental craftsmanship, “Liquid Love” explores emotional vulnerability, memory, attachment, and the fleeting nature of modern human connection through avant-garde fashion and handmade construction.

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