Silicon Lung

Category: Apparel

Silicon Lung is the integration of two fragile mediums, knit and ceramic, both known for their delicate quality and histories within both upper-class society and the working class, who mastered them for hundreds of years across different cultures. This project is an ode to the working class who mastered these crafts, whose livelihoods have been taken by the saturation of overproduction. The title is drawn from silicosis, which is a disease you can get from working with dry ceramic, breathing in silica dust. This is also in reference to data centers’ pollution to the air and water of the working-class communities they're built in, and a hard stance against the “need” for generative AI/machine learning. The construction and research into this look came from my experimentation with the ceramic forms you see ingrained in the garment. Which can be seen from the ceramic chrome 'head bump' and embellishments on the poncho. The poncho and 'stamen skirt' are a combination of flatbed machine knitting and SHIMA SEIKI knit programming. The ‘stamen skirt’ is a garment of my design which begins as pants and morphs the legs together, ending in a skirt. The silhouette morphs the body and creates a trompe l'oeil of swift movement when walking, while restraining some movement. This look uses a mélange of deadstock and second-hand yarns, which was important to the ethos of my concept, as waste and disregard for material and the hands that created it is a part of what Silicon Lung resists.