As a senior standing at the threshold of a concluding chapter, I find myself weighing the eras of my life and the motives that constructed the person I am today. I ask myself: Was my path preordained, or did an intrinsic dysphoria urge me to make choices that satisfied a desire for self-actualization? Using the mantra “I am becoming” from Poor Things as a framework for the lived experience, I view identity not as a static state, but as a perpetual evolution. The way we dress is not merely covering; it is a powerful tool for transformation.

“Dysphoria: Catalyst to Metamorphose” posits that discomfort is not merely a negative emotion but a necessary friction that propels us toward our ideal selves. Inspired by biological metamorphosis and Franz Kafka’s exploration of the self manifesting as a corporeal thing, I aim to capture the physical sensation of change in clothing. This body of work is a cosmopolitan bricolage, a melting pot of aesthetics that synthesizes the “colors of me” as a designer. It draws from a collage of the zeitgeist: the theatrical reveals of queer Ballroom culture, the deconstruction of 80s fashion, Yves Saint Laurent’s 70s Orientalism, and the transformative narratives found in pop culture and my many inspirations for creation that propel and urge me. Unearthing my motivations for design through daily “field logs” has revealed the bricolage nature of my style, artistic hand, and history with textiles.

My design methodology mirrors my introduction to fashion as a digital native. Growing up, I engaged with the industry through the screen, obsessively screenshotting diverse aesthetics from YouTube and social media to catalog in digital journals. I mimicked these trends by manipulating hand-me-downs, pin-rolling denim legs to transform uninspired pants into something expressive. That youthful yearning to curate a worldly, modern identity from limited resources has matured into a sophisticated practice of high-contrast, intentional clashing. I am treating textiles like a collaged image, merging disparate global references into a cohesive, wearable narrative.

Visually, the collection operates as a three-dimensional mood board come to life. Textural choices echo the theme of folding and unfolding; looks feature pleated, paper-mâché-like surfaces and origami floral elements that suggest a manifest destiny of form. I am drawn to the concept of wrapping and revealing, utilizing excess fabric and bow motifs to symbolize the presentation of the self. To ground this abstract concept in reality, the work reflects the energy of New York City. It celebrates the “uptown-downtown” duality of individuals who have been saturated by the city, whose personal style reflects their own metamorphosis. By interpreting the busy, conflicting, yet beautiful inputs of global culture, this collection serves as a visual journal of becoming, transforming the dysphoria of the past into the self-assured artistry of the present.