Reflection 1: “Genesis” by Ivan Liu
There’s so much to write about when it comes to creativity, but after much thought, I’ve decided to dedicate this reflection to one of my best friends Ivan. I’ve known Ivan since high school where we have gotten to know each other through our involvement in our school’s drama committee. He was the lead customer designer, while I was the set designer and lead actor/actress (since our high school was an all-boys institution, I also played most of our female characters). So in short, he would make these elaborate dresses and I would wear them on stage. Back then, we both knew what we wanted to be: him a fashion designer, and I an actor. Flash forward to the present time, between the two of us, he was the only one who held onto his dream and made it a reality, and that alone makes me a really proud friend.
Back to the “Genesis” collection, Ivan described that the inspiration for the collection is from thoughts of nature during lockdown and quarantine. He wanted to convey the birth of the universe through flowy patterns and unusual silhouettes. Out of the whole collection, I find his third look the most creative. While his other looks were also quite creative in terms of structure, this look strikes a fine balance between being avant-garde yet practical. Beneath the elaborate flowy fabric hides a sportswear-like that functions as a comfortable skin-like canvas for layers of structure to be constructed, yet not looking awkward. While most would only go for blueish colors to convey the ocean, Ivan utilized reddish-orange colors that are similar to that of red algae, which furthers the thematic depiction. Finally, the seemingly random placement of the wavy patterns and horsehair braids convey a sense of entropy that alludes to the chaotic nature of the beginning of time, while still retaining a sense of negentropy that lends to the biblical depiction of the creation story.
I won’t say that this design is the most unique creation I’ve ever seen, but this is certainly my favorite piece that Ivan has ever created, and I wholeheartedly believe that this is only the start to a new chapter of his designs. So proud of him. If you would like to see more of his works, I would recommend you to check out his instagram @ivanfiyeroliu.
