Correspondence of Perception
Category: Apparel
Competitions: Fashion Competition 2026
My project explores how meaning emerges from incomplete information. Growing up with dyslexia, reading has never been a passive act of decoding words. Instead, my mind instinctively forms connections between fragmented letters, words and patterns, reconstructing meaning from what is only partially understood. Rather than seeing this process as an error, I have come to recognise it as an alternative way of perceiving the world—one that values intuition, association and the possibility of multiple interpretations. This way of thinking has gradually shaped not only how I read language, but also how I approach making. This understanding of perception resonates with anthropologist Tim Ingold's philosophy of making [Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture (2013]), which describes creation as a correspondence between maker and material rather than an act of control. As natural materials, wool and leather possess their own histories, textures and behaviours. Rather than controlling these characteristics, my making process responds to them, allowing the materials to actively participate in the reconstruction of meaning. Instead of imposing a predetermined outcome, I work through observation, experimentation and dialogue, allowing each material to influence the direction of the project. Working with reclaimed hair-on leather already marked by irregular cuts and openings, I chose not to conceal these interruptions but to embrace them as the starting point of the design. Through wet-felting, wool fibres are integrated into and across the existing cuts, creating tactile connections between fragmented surfaces. The wool does not function as a repair, but as a material response that establishes new relationships within the leather. Just as my dyslexic mind instinctively constructs meaning from incomplete information, the materials establish their own correspondence through the act of making. The project also reflects my interest in transforming overlooked natural resources. Individual leather offcuts are joined together to construct larger textile panels, preserving the identity and history of each fragment while creating a unified surface. The resulting textile balances the structured character of leather with the sculptural softness of felted wool, celebrating the tension between interruption and connection, rigidity and fluidity. The developed textile is translated into a contemporary womenswear look centred on a clean mid-calf A-line dress and a separate bra constructed from contrasting hair-on leathers. Designed without a fixed front or back, the garment refuses a privileged viewpoint. The front and back panels mirror one another, eliminating a clear central point or dominant side. This ambiguity invites both wearer and viewer to question how the garment should be read, echoing the project's exploration of perception as an active process of interpretation rather than simple recognition. Positioned independently from the dress, the bra introduces a deliberate sense of displacement. Rather than functioning solely as an undergarment, it becomes an external element that interrupts the expected visual order of the silhouette. Its placement challenges conventional relationships between clothing and the body, suggesting that what initially appears misplaced can reveal an alternative logic. In the same way that dyslexic perception reconstructs meaning through unexpected connections, the garment encourages multiple readings instead of a single predetermined interpretation. Rather than resolving fragmentation, the collection transforms it into a visual and tactile language. Through the dialogue between reclaimed leather and wool, maker and material, structure and intuition, the work proposes that individuality is not found in perfection or uniformity, but in our unique capacity to perceive, connect and reconstruct meaning.
