#its2013

Paper based on the project was published in the proceedings of the ACM Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces 2013 Conference (ITS2013), St. Andrews, UK. The paper can be downloaded from here. (or from the ACM Digital Library publication link)

Also selected for:

-ITS 2013 MOMENT-

-TAKAHIRO UENO-

-ITS 2013 MOMENT-

-TAKAHIRO UENO-

TRIESTE (ITALY) | International Talent Suport 2013 | PAULA CHENG | The Beast Within

"When I first attended the ITS Fashion Competition as a fashion student five years ago, I was so impressed by the production of the event and of course the amazing work of the finalists. This was the Grand Prix of Fashion, and I knew, at that instant, that I wanted to be an ITS finalist one day and show my work on that very runway. Five years later, here I am, in Trieste debuting my collection as an American designer from New York, representing the inaugural MFA Fashion Design program from Parsons the New School for Design. When I arrived at the ITS location straight from the airport, I was greeted with the ITS crew and immediately I felt welcomed. The crew members were absolutely amazing as they helped us unpack and organize our collections. Barbara Franchin, the director of ITS, came to greet us personally despite of her busy schedule prior to the show. The schedule for fashion finalists was extremely hectic as well; we were very busy and slept very little for the three days we were there. However, all the hard work paid off as we saw our months of hard work walk down the runway, to be greeted by cheers and applause from the audience and the looks of approval from fashion industry professionals. It all happened so quickly yet the experience is so memorable. Every finalists’ collections were strong indications of their identity and their vision as designers. It feels so unreal to be included in such a talented and elite group of innovators! No matter if it was sitting on the hotel lobby talking until 3am, helping each other pack up their collections for shipment, or just hanging out at lunch drinking prosecco and taking pictures, I loved every moment of the ITS competition, it is one of the most influential contests for emerging designers and I encourage all fashion students to work hard toward this goal as being a part of the ITS family would only fuel your creativity as designers of tomorrow. I presented "The Beast Within" collection which was inspired by my fascination of man and beast within Greek mythology and their complex relationship as portrayed throughout art history. Feared, worshipped or sacrificed, these mythical creatures reflected the culture of the society and the sentiments of the era. Cautionary tales and incredible fables were crafted over centuries to tell the stories of these creatures. They serve as metaphors to the ideology and the higher thinking of the human mind.This collection intends to explore the symbolisms behind primitivism, sacrifice, innocence, admiration, strength, cruelty and love. Building this fully-fashioned collection from strings of yarn, to texture, and ultimately garments, I was able to create my own signature yarns by blending different colors of shine and matte with fibers of wool, lorex, viscoes, mohair and silk. The intricate fabric textures were hand-manipulated to mimic the structure of stylized scales and hair of the creatures such as sphinxes and lambs seen in Greek statues. The garments are draped in silhouettes reminiscent of beasts in the Hellenistic art period characterized by strong diagonal axis and a departure from realism. In order to portray the brutality and aggression of a predator, I slashed through flatbed knitted panels with an overlock machine and literally claw through the fabric with my own hands to create the "destroyed fur" of a prey. From experimenting with yarn blending, testing out knit treatments, and draping without a pre-meditated pattern, the collection formed organically from my journey of exploring knitwear, and reflects deeply my instinct to explore, to create and to fashion. Finally, "The Beast Within" is a metaphor for the creature in me, constantly creating and and relentlessly exploring ways of making. It reflects my obsessive personality and my unquenchable thirst to know. From teaching myself how to knit when I was little to understanding the concept of creativity in my masters, the higher-self in me is always on the journey to find the next frontier." PAULA CHENG

About Paula Cheng

Paula Cheng is a New York-based fashion designer. Paula is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Fashion Design and Society MFA program at Parsons the New School for Design, where she specialized in research-based designs, deconstructive knitwear and complex free-form draping. During her tenure at Parsons, she was the winner of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty competition, and a finalist of the Feel the Yarn Competition in Florence. Her recent work has been featured in the past in Wallpaper, Bullett, and Vogue Italia magazines as an emerging young designer. Lanificio Dell’Olivo, an Italian luxury yarn company, provided exclusive sponsorship for her final MFA graduate collection, which was featured in Womenswear Daily, Style.com and The New York Times. Paula’s past collections have been exhibited worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Benjamin House London, and Honda Hair Show during Tokyo Fashion Week. Paula was selected as a 2013 finalist for the International Talent Support Competition, where she will be debuting her most recent knitwear and footwear collection, "The Beast Within”. With professional and institutional experience from Asia, United States and Europe, Cheng’s design style is cosmopolitan, conceptual and always progressing.

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