Revive

Palingenesis by Elle Newkirk

Palingenesis is a collection dedicated to the little deaths and rebirths every individual undergoes during their time on Earth. The human experience is a constant cycle of different lives lived, lessons learned, and feelings felt. This collection further delves into the theme of revival through the designer’s exploration of her own cultural roots. In recent years, traditional Korean fashion has been undergoing its own revival. Young people are modernizing the traditional hanbok and other fashions to fit our constantly changing world and lifestyles. As a designer who is half-Korean, this endeavor is my attempt at connecting with my heritage and subsequently rethinking my sense of self-expression and identity. This collection has been divided into three separate looks, which are Maiden, Han, and Atlas.

Life After Death by Caleb Sowah and Maia Lindgren

Life after Death is a collection centered around the revival of oneself. Throughout life, we experience cycles of birth and rebirth. We find ourselves, lose ourselves, and become something new. We navigate trials, tribulations, anxieties, discoveries, comfort, and discomfort as we grow and improve. Life after Death aims to showcase this transformative process through the lens of zombification, offering different perspectives on life, death, and life after death. The first piece in the collection, Life, symbolizes comfort—who you are now, encompassing all your goals, dreams, and anxieties. It presents an overstimulating yet beautiful display of color, highlighting the vibrant, sometimes overwhelming aspects of life. Death represents the loss of oneself or the realization that one isn’t entirely content with their current state. It reflects a moment of rest, boredom, and despair, as one seeks to discover their true self and what brings genuine happiness. Zombie represents self-actualization—the idea that by discovering what gives you purpose you can achieve fulfillment, symbolized here through the act of “eating brains.” This signifies finding comfort, understanding, and optimism for the future. While this process of self-discovery has been greatly simplified, we hope this collection encourages viewers to reflect on their own journeys and discover which pieces resonate most deeply with them.

The Return Home by Mia Danford-Klein

This piece is a tribute to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The law of conservation of energy states that all energy is neither created nor destroyed, but changes forms. This reflects my belief that death is not just the end, but the beginning. It’s a return to our origins in the earth– a reclamation that is beautiful, imminent, and necessary for the natural flow of the universe. This piece explores the balance between life’s fragility and its enduring strength. The materials and textures symbolize this balance: strong branches and wrapping blankets of moss provide stability, leaving room for delicate flowers and passing animals that combine to create a single ecosystem. I also wanted to capture the grief and the beauty in the transformation that follows death. Both light and dark are represented in the details: Soft greenery and colorful flowers contrast with decaying skin and scavenging insects. Historically, something that has been viewed as sinister and tragic also carries an unappreciated beauty. Death, to me, is not something to fear, but something that should be embraced as a natural, eternal rhythm. We are all born of the same energy, and upon death, it will be returned to the earth. Human lives may be limited, but the energy of the soul is infinite. The impermanence of our lives means that every moment is rare, beautiful, and worthy of being cherished.

Ornaments of Being by Sophie Dickerson

“Ornaments of Being” is an effort to revive the episodic memories of my past and my true self from childhood. Decorating the neuron “branches” and incorporating photographs into the piece provides a new look at my being and legacy that has become hazy. Cyanotypes, various found childhood objects, and souvenirs represent memories distorted and changing nature over time. “Ornaments of Being”‘s purpose is to remember the fleeting moments of a single life, and the connection with one’s existence.

Fall of Icarus by Mia Potter and Devyn Williams

 It is important to revive or reminisce about the past or we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.  The gods of old were believed to punish even the greatest of men. Luring the common man to their demise with their power, just or not.  However, some people do stray from the path and are dealt with accordingly.  Many who believe themselves to be great men are victims to one of humanity’s blights, hubris.  There is no better example of this ignorance than the story of Icarus, who fell from the sky as punishment for his egotism. To encapsulate this balance, we developed the idea of a dance between humans and their hubris.  This performance seeks to show humanity that although we think we can master every part of our world, we will make a misstep that can ruin us.  We were inspired by ancient Greco-Roman visuals and clothing, medieval garment construction, as well as a mixture of masquerade, ballet, and the usage of the human face to enter and disturb the viewers.  We strive to represent a revival of an old tale, which we must not forget, with our dance through the clouds.  Each step they take is followed by the pluck of a feather or two, as we witness the inevitable, again and again, the Fall of Icarus.

Baggage by Megan Mersch

Our environmental baggage as a society grows with every passing second, which means a revival of the environment will be a long and complicated process. This wearable art piece is meant to shed some light on our over-consumption of plastic, specifically single-use grocery bags. I am reviving single-use grocery bags as a textile material because these bags are an unnecessary item that plagues landfills, oceans, and other parts of our planet. The average single-use grocery bag is used for only 12 minutes and then is thrown away, remaining in the environment for up to 1,000 years. If plastic production is not slowed down, we will have a bleak future. The character portrayed lives in this future where plastic is the only resource left for clothing and household items. Watch as she crumbles under the weight of her over-consumption and baggage, serving as a reminder that plastic has no place this integrated into our lives.

Ignite by Charlotte Davis

This piece rejects the rigid expectations of 1950s women, where domesticity was both obligation and identity. It follows the slow unraveling of a woman who has spent her life conforming, only to realize the walls around her were never her own. Her liberation is not instant but a charged transformation, tension building until eruption is inevitable.

Once symbols of submission, the tools that confined her become weapons of defiance. Worn down, her frayed dress and weary posture reflect the weight of expectation. But as smoke curls around her, suppressed rage begins to manifest. The objects around her shift in meaning, submission turns to reclamation. Then, she erupts. Smoke swirls as she rises from the ruins of expectation, her old life reduced to ash. This is more than destruction, it is defiance and renewal. Rather than letting her past weigh her down, she draws strength from it, turning her struggles into fuel for her freedom.

Til Mourning Comes by Alyx Hucks

“Til Mourning Comes” is a wearable art piece following the story of a transformation of a mortal overtaken by a banshee, set in a haunting, swampy forest. Through the symbolism of possession, the piece delves into the process of self-growth and liberation, as the model removes parts of the garment—each black fragment representing the restrictive forces of possession. The unraveling crochet, spiraling outward, mirrors the soul’s journey, reflecting internal conflict, growth, and eventual release. The performance acts as an exorcism, where the model sheds these layers, engaging in a physical act of catharsis. As each piece is discarded, a release of emotional and spiritual tension occurs, symbolizing the battle between restriction, surrender, and freedom. The act of unraveling and deconstructing the fibers echoes the healing process—painful, yet necessary—for reclaiming one’s autonomy and sense of self. In ‘Journey to the West,’ a collection diving into the poignant journey of immigrant parents as they traverse the ethereal boundaries between worlds, leaving behind their homeland to forge a new destiny. Through the lens of dimensional leaps, this narrative explores the emotional complexities and resilience required to navigate unfamiliar landscapes while holding onto the essence of their cultural identity.

Meet the Art2Wear Committee Members