Is it a coat or a tent? Transformable garments

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Is it a coat or a tent? Transformable garments for the fashion future


Fashion design student Rebecca Hoang has designed a unique range of clothes that combine catwalk and bush walk.

Her four outfits were designed for her final year fashion design project to consciously address ways to reduce consumer consumption by wearing clothes out of necessity rather than want. They feature on the catwalk at the annual Massey Fashion Show, being staged at Massey’s Wellington campus on November 16-17 as part of the BLOW creative arts festival.

“I basically wanted to combine practicality and function with fashion, “ the 21-year-old says of her collection, which includes a trench coat with detachable lining that converts into a pup tent, and applies techniques that would not look too out of place at the College of Creative Arts’ industrial design programme either.

Her other designs include a long sleeve silk top and dress, with a backpack containing an inbuilt mattress, a jacket that transforms into a sleeping bag and another jacket which is fitted with a back solar panel capable of charging a cellphone.

“My designs address a simple way of living, being able to go anywhere with what you have on you- more about travelling, being an urban nomad,” she says.

“The principle question I was trying to address with my designs was what in modern times do people really need?”

The Wellington woman’s efforts to design a collection which also addressed the theme of sustainability ensured her garments were only made using natural fibres such as silk, wool and cotton.

‘’People say I’m quite a practical person, I have an emergency kit in my car and fitted detachable hooks for hanging coats and other accessories to my workshop desk and am always looking for ways to improve how things work.”

The Massey Fashion Show is being staged at 8pm, Friday November 16 and 3pm and 8pm Saturday November 17 at the Great Hall of the Museum Building, Massey University, Buckle St, Wellington. As part of the BLOW creative arts festival www.blowfestival.co.nz

Go to www.dashtickets.co.nz for ticket booking information.

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