Theodore Liu Coonan

Ba Hons Fashion Graduate NCAD 2025 from Kildare, Ireland. Of mixed Heritage (Chinese-Irish). Fluent in English and Chinese. Worked along side Robyn Lynch for AW24 supported by C.P. Company. My graduate collection originated from the idea of 'Chinese Whispers'—the gradual distortion of messages over time. Being half-Chinese, half-Irish, and having lived in Ireland my entire life, I’ve often felt a disconnect from aspects of my Chinese heritage and my family's history. While researching Chinese dress from the 1900s for my thesis, I asked my grandparents for old photographs. These images sparked a deeper curiosity and brought forward more questions than answers. This project became a physical representation of this initial lack of knowledge, and of how easily cultural history can fade or become distorted. Throughout the project, I’ve explored traditional garments, reimagining them with unconventional materials or intentionally incorrect construction techniques. I’ve also employed graphic methods to distort images and messages, further emphasising themes of miscommunication, loss, and reinterpretation. I explore the tension between new false histories and lost futures, questioning how memories are preserved, distorted, or forgotten. Throughout my graduate collection I worked with Leathers, Heavy denims and high stretch materials.