Katlyn Le Leal

Katlyn Le Leal

Materiality BFA

el leal "the loyal"

Is a remembrance of past, present, and future through the lens of loyalty in relation to Chosen Family and identity.
“From green to blue to red to white illustrates the absorption of my trauma, and my past through the colors of a visible light spectrum. The whole collection is achieved through the use of natural dye on white fabric symbolizing the era of my life I am in and that this collection is a reflection of my past. Through the use of patterns they illustrate the rise and fall of turbulence in my life.”

"One Size Fits Most -let your clothes grow and change with you"

"In this collection I have created one size fits most garments that fit a US 0- US14 that is inspired by the intimacy of garment sharing within family, and through the creation of this system your clothes can grow and change with you."
Image: clover ✤
Image: LOOK 1 ✤ Features a clover dress inspired by clover motifs and is dyed with chamomile and indigo to achieve a green color
Image: Here you can see how garments fit on two bodies fit model is size 4 and Ari is size 14
Image: LOOK 2 ✤ Is the organza slip with matching  organza star bodice and a slip skirt of blue and green lace
Image: tear 💧
Image: LOOK 3 The coat is undyed silk noil hand painted with indigo dye and has shell buttons and indigo dyed silk ribbons
Image:  LOOK 3 Is a dress made from hand cut organza ribbons and organza panels and dyed with logwood.
Image: LOOK 4 It is an extension of the coat but worn as a suit. This was the first initial sketch I made in July 2020 and is a reference to a bodice I made the previous fall 2019. I wanted to challenge myself to make  garments that size 10-14 have more difficulty finding the correct fit and turning it into a one size fits most garment.
Image: intial toiles ft. Zoe
Image: LOOK 5 Features a recycled nylon and organza windbreaker and fitted knit dance trousers 
Image: Grapefruit ♢
Image: LOOK 6 Is a diamond slip dress dyed with madder and logwood  with a chamomile diamond that is the sibling of the look one clover dress - although this dress is more mature and signals a lost of loss of naivety
Image: LOOK 7 Bridges the gap between workwear and comfort illustrating my comfortable in my skin comparingly to the tear coat which was used as protection
Image: This coverall suit turned robe is dyed silk noil with madder and hand stenciled with cochineal and features 9 shell buttons 
Image: Star ✯
Image: LOOK 8 Illustrates the forgetting of the past through the lack of pattern and features chamomile dyed organza pants with cochineal organza lining. The bodice uses a natural pleating process I have developed Junior year using beeswax and features a black draped top.
Image: Look 9 Illustrates the memories of my past and how they are broken apart allowing others to help me to piece them back together. Through the combination of each motif and the remaking of self  this garment is  realization of my trauma and my goal to remember it.
Image: Look 10 Is a simple white mesh dress made from 6 yards of carvico mesh. The simplicity of the white illustrates the completion of the cycle and the forgiveness of other but also myself and illustrating my ability to move on
Video: el leal film

Bio

Katlyn Le Leal is a Vietnamese Mexican designer based in New York; their work focuses on one-size-fits-most-garments inspired by the intimacy of garment sharing between family members.

They hold not only a commitment to inclusivity and body positivity but aim to create garments that will fit you just as well the first time as your last. Their philosophy combines the practice of a slow fashion system, one-size-fits-most-garments with sustainable sourcing such as the use of natural fibers, fabrics, and threads to target the issues of garment consumption that lead to waste and pollution.

@thelloyalemail
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