The concept is titled “a bit off”; based on the natural human intuition we have when something is just not right. I like to imagine it as a freshly pressed tablecloth that as been shifted unintentionally by someone passing by. Visually, if we see everything aligned except for one piece that is skewed, we will notice right away; evoking this unsettling emotion.

 

 That emotion is conveyed by taking classic garments and subtly manipulating it by playing shadows and dimensions to the point where you know what it is in reference to but it can’t be categorized as a “classic” anymore. Along with the “classic” garments of the western world, there is a reference to the áo dà, áo bà ba and áo yếm.

 

The flower motif you see is  a manipulated photo of the night blooming cereus which is a cactus flower that only blooms at night. It conveys the concept quite well - a flower that doesn’t have the qualities of the standard definition of the word.

 

 

Apart from being named after the said flower, subconsciously the theme reflects my experience as a first generation Vietnamese American.