Coral bleaching

Category: Apparel

My inspiration for the project The project explores the phenomenon of coral bleaching, through which I aim to express a sense of shock in the face of nature’s beauty. This is a fascinating process of decay, manifested in shape transformations and the signaling of vivid, almost fluorescent colors in corals. A phenomenon that has been intensifying in recent decades due to the warming of ocean waters caused by climate change. Driven by a desire to raise awareness and highlight the fragility of nature, I created a visual response to the phenomenon through the design of five womenswear ensembles. I chose the jacket as the central garment in each of the five outfits, with each look representing a different stage in the bleaching process. The collection was developed using techniques such as freehand draping, fabric sculpting, and handcrafted leatherwork, involving distortion, deconstruction, and reconstruction of the familiar jacket form. Through a gradual shift from vivid colors to soft white, the collection tells a story of decline — the slow disappearance of coral reefs, which serve as a vital ecological resource in our oceans. What is coral bleaching? coral bleaching refer to the phenomenon in which corals die and become white due to the increased water temperature. Corals originally depend on a symbiotic relationship with algae-like unicellular flagellate protozoa, called zooxanthellae, which provide nutrients to corals via photosynthesis using the carbon dioxide produced by the corals. However, as the water temperature rises, this symbiotic relationship breaks, and corals start to die. In my design, I began designing the model by closely examining various tailored jackets, which led to the creation of a short jumpsuit with a different structure. From above, the jacket appears to be disassembled, as if falling off the body. Through this look, I aimed to express the gradual loss of color and life, the extinction of corals until they reach a fossilized state.

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