Shambhavi Mehrotra

Fashion Design AAS

To live and to create

This thesis aims to create consciously designed garments that allow the consumers to take ownership of the creativity their clothes offer rather than be forced into wearing the mundane. It follows “more than what meets the eye” ideology and seeks to push the consumers to explore new possibilities with their clothes and enjoy its versatility and modular nature. Playing with the dichotomy between abstract prints and solid stripes, further adds to the changeability of these garments as different ways of wearing the garment, showcases the prints differently.

Model: Safire Wilkerson
Photographers: Hui Zhao (Zorika) and Vighnesh Mehrotra

Image: The inspiration for this collection comes from modular paintings made by a conceptual artist, Leda Luss Luyken. Her paintings were not about being completely finished, instead, the final development is by the viewer and how their perspective and insights make them view the paintings.

Image: **Color and Silhouette Exploration**

Image: **Print Development:** Alcohol ink was used to make abstract prints that was different and unique from every angle that it was viewed from. This further added to the modular nature of the collection.

Image: Adding stripes made the print even more complex. By changing the direction of the fabric, horizontal stipes became diagonal which then became vertical. It made the print more exciting and added more depth to it.

Image: **Hardware Design:** As a kid, I used to use my earrings/studs to embellish my garments and that gave me the inspiration for the closure for this collection.

One of the many reasons why cufflinks came to be, is the ease with which the fabrics can be joined without having to know how to sew and that was exciting for this collection because different parts of the garments could be joined using this closure giving the final looks even more variety in which they can be worn.

Broderie Anglaise has holes in it so using it as a trim was the perfect way to incorporate this cufflink closure as well as the modular concept of the collection.

Image: **Jewelry Development:** Similar to the process of making the fabric print, alcohol inks were used, along with resin, to make the jewelry. This made an even more cohesive and interesting collection. Pop socket and baking silicone molds were used to make the pieces.

Image: **The 360 Dress:** This garment can be worn from all four sides as well as upside down. Cufflinks are used to secure the dress from the top.

Image: 1 garment = 6 different ways to wear it

Video: Can be worn from all sides. The hole cutout becomes the armhole when turned to the side

Video: Can be worn upside down as well

Image: **Reversible Crop Top:** This break apart crop tops can be worn in multiple ways. The armhole can be used as the neck giving the crop top an interesting silhouette.

The reversible side is plain so the customer can play with different combinations of the solid and printed sides.

Cufflinks are used to join the bottom 'add-on' piece.

Image: 1 garment = 9 different ways to wear it

Image: **Infinity Wrap:** This piece has countless ways to wear it and it all depends on the cusomter and how they play with it. The diamond center is the main neck opening and the circles are the armholes but it can be interchanged and played with.

This piece emphasizes the use of stripes in the fabric print. When worn in some ways, they appear horizontal, in some, vertical and then in others, diagonal.

Image: 1 garment = more that 12 different ways to wear it

Bio

Born and raised in Lucknow, India, a lot of my personality and values are influenced by my beautiful and culturally rich city (especially my love for good food). In 2014, I came to the US to pursue my undergraduate degree in Business and as much as I loved business, I also loved fashion and therefore decided to switch gears in 2019 and do an Associate's degree in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design, NY. This was a great decision because it gave me knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the fashion/design industry and I am so glad to have made that choice. Now I have both, fashion design skills and business acumen and hope to use these to make a positive impact on people.

As a designer, I am intrigued by the duality of Fashion, whether that is the amalgamation of fashion genres or the blend of functionality and aesthetics. In my designs, I want to pursue “it is more than what meets the eye” ideology and want to explore the transcendent nature of fashion and how it evolves as the society evolves.

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