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weili xu

Central Saint Martins

textile designer with a strong focus on experimental print and visual storytelling. My work merges traditional craftsmanship with digital innovation, resulting in bold, narrative-driven designs. With experience across fashion and cross-disciplinary projects, I bring a thoughtful and boundary-pushing approach to materials, dark aesthetics, and diverse culture.

Soft Gun

Category: Apparel

Competitions: International

SoftGun explores the emotional and sustainable potential of leather. The project explores how material imperfections—especially those found in naturally damaged or offcuts skins—can carry culture, story, and beauty. Instead of using new & flawless leather, I intentionally worked with pieces that found from leather factories wastes —materials that are often discarded in conventional production. These pieces are treated not as defects but as living surfaces, rich with story and texture. Through experimental techniques such as laser cutting, digital embriodery, and printing–leather fusion, I reimagined leather as a series of expressive textiles that can be used in posibilities within the fashion context. Storytelling emerges through illustrations that reflect my imagination of the wild and my reinterpretation of traditional Western aesthetics. I develop both digital and handmade textiles that are embedded into jacket linings, in subtle, hidden ways. This project reflects a commitment to sustainability, both materially and emotionally: using what is usually considered waste, and transforming it into something tactile, personal, and meaningful.

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.