LCF24: Introducing The MAMMALS by Rongxin Hu
- Written byJ Tilley
- Published date 05 July 2024
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As part of our LCF Undergraduate Class of 2024 series we are catching up with graduates to talk about their work and their time at LCF. We caught up with BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear graduate Rongxin Xu to discuss his collection, The MAMMALS.
Please tell us about your collection – what story are you trying to tell?
"The Mammals" aims to show how we can release our animalistic wildness within human society, and how we balance the line between humans and animals. We are used to using morals and discipline to separate humans from animals, like education, belief, and especially clothing - suits, belts, trench coats, and shirts. But we are also mammals, with the same senses they have. These common 'uniforms' in our daily lives, subtly place us within a framework of rules, gradually regulating our innate wildness. So, my project combines human rationality with animal savagery. I also use a lot of archetypes as a foundation, expressing this hidden wild emotion through daily clothing to balance the line between humanity and animality.
What was the defining moment or experience that sparked the creation of your graduate collection?
I love solo trips so much and those journeys have given me inspiration. I really enjoy immersing myself in nature, running under the rain or wandering through the jungle just behaving like an animal. Honestly, a spontaneous trip during the summer vacation of my second year is what strengthened my belief in the theme of my graduate collection. We stayed in a herdsman's yurt on the grassland. There was a lake in front of the grassland and mountains and forests behind it. I rode a horse on the grassland for hours, chased animals in the deep forest, and just yelled in the woods. This experience was like nothing I’d ever felt before, the struggle brought by social pressure suddenly disappeared. The herdsman killed a sheep for our dinner, and I took a picture of the discarded sheepskin. This picture gave me a strong visual impact and inspiration. It made me think, so do we, as mammals, still have that wildness inside us, the original raw feeling?
How do you believe society’s "uniforms" suppress our inner wildness, and how does your collection address this struggle?
Like suits and shirts, we just looking like we're all from the same mould, straight and stiff, well-cut. These formal clothes constantly remind us of what we can and can't do. When I go to some formal events, I automatically choose a shirt or blazer, that behaviour really surprised me, even though I can't really move in these clothes. In my collection, there are many everyday clothing items, but these clothes appear as squeezed and worn versions. For example, one of the design inspirations was from the way humans fight with each other like animals. A suit is still a suit, just the pattern is different. Through these clothes, I want to show that even under rigid rules, we can still express the wildness that's part of us as mammals.
What materials and techniques did you find essential in capturing the balance between our humanity and animalistic instincts in this collection?
I used denim, silk and leather to show the rationality and conflict between humanity and animality. I also used rust dyeing and denim bleaching techniques. I feel like rust is something like metal when interfered with by humans, but in the end, it goes back to how it should be, while bleached denim is just like the marks left by humans grappling like animals. It's as if when humans discard all rules and discipline, we are just animals. We showcase the stains in various ways, some through rust dyeing and others through digital printing. For the leather, we used a puff print to show the clash between rust and wildness, giving it a rust-alike texture to the raw leather. The rivets on the denim and silver buttons are also part of my design ideas, showing a fusion of toughness and softness.
What challenges have you faced in the fashion industry while trying to maintain the integrity of your design aesthetics?
I think it's about balancing design inspiration and wearability. For example, some interesting design techniques and fabric modifications are not something people would wear out, like too big volume, stiff shapes, and so on. And some fabric manipulations might be uncomfortable and unhealthy. These are all problems I needed to address when I started my designs. So, I need to think more about how to showcase the full potential of this garment while ensuring it's practical and wearable.
Can you share a piece of advice for aspiring fashion designers who wish to incorporate unconventional themes and materials into their work?
I think as designers, our responsibility is to keep experimenting and try what we want to try. But it's also important to give more thought to our theme and materials, combining them with our own feelings and experiences. We give them more meaning beyond just appearance. In addition, think more about your customer and target. In this way, we truly showcase our uniqueness as designers.
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