Rosy-hued shells of organza encase the wearer of these garments by Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) graduate Violet Zhou, which explore different states of mind experienced during personal struggles.

Inspired by her own personal experiences and “emotional turbulences”, Zhou sought to translate certain feelings into tangible products.

Her fashion collection, titled Within, comprises six looks, each representing a different stage in the process of going through and overcoming various emotional and mental challenges.

These include angry, weighed-down, wounded, sinking, numb and emerging.

Designed to create a sense of “confinement”, many of the pieces literally seal their wearer inside the garment with an outer layer of fabric.

Each look progresses onto the next, until finally “emerging” from the turmoil into a lighter state of mind, where the wearer physically breaks free from the material casing.

“I wanted it to look like the model is vacuum-sealed in between two plastic sheets, … Read more

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California practice Umé Studio has created a modular sofa with bolsters, wooden units and traditional Japanese Zabuton cushions that are often used on tatami floors.

Umé Studio created the Zabuton Sofa to provide a different use for the cushions that are traditionally placed on tatami, which are woven-straw mats placed on raised floors in Japan. For centuries, the cotton-filled cushions have been used to make resting on the floor more comfortable.

“Our Zabuton Sofa is a take on re-introducing traditional Japanese living into a modern piece of furniture,” the studio said.

“With the raised floors being popularised in the 17th century, Japanese society as a whole adopted tatami living as the driving design principle of housing design, Zabuton were used to bring comfort to the seating of the nobility.”

The cushions are used to pad out the wooden furniture piece, which comprises a low, maple wood plinth that has grooves … Read more

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