Emily Lee

About the collection

“The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world." — from Demian by Hermann Hesse.

We live inside the world that we built for ourselves, in our head, in our body. Our perception of oneself and the world has power to change the understanding that we have of ourselves, and the world that we live in. Complete acceptance can only happen after enduring the pain of the so called “ugly”. This collection aspires to narrate a story of self-acceptance and beautiful interpretation of the uncelebrated flaws.

Fashion was a marker of social status for the majority of human history. Today, its role as a social divider has faded. Instead, its new role as an identity marker arose. We dress to give ourselves the label that we want. Fashion is a mean for people to become the person they want to be.

Shamans or Mu-Dangs in Korea are integral part of the folk culture that still exists closely to people’s lives until today. They are chosen by the “gods” and most are left with no choice but to take this role in order to survive. They were isolated “ugly” jobs that scared away the common people, leaving big scars to the shamans.

Sapience Veneer touches on the concept of ‘second skin’ inspired by my personal insecurity that is now a proud proof of my passion toward my effort in fashion. Just like shamans, the fatal mark that continues without my willingness was the ugly side of me.

Driven from the inspiration and the conceptual narrative about self acceptance, this collection showcases 3 menswear and 3 womenswear looks. Integration of accessories including headwear and body pieces is the aspect that deserves attention across the collection.