In a city so large, it feels as if the shadows of commuters engulf our presences, and our voices drowned in the cacophony of honking and traffic. In a world where we cannot hear our voices when we speak, nor could we traced the train of our thought before it was interrupted by the siren of an ambulance, we feel as if we are no longer the protagonist of our own minds, as if we become the audiences of our own story.

The desire for serenity initiated the objective of Monologue - to temporarily withdraw our focuses from the overcrowded, saturated thoughts, in order to have a genuine conversation with ourselves. To find out what it is that we truly need and the goals to accomplish are the sole purposes of this temporary escape- an optimistic approach to regain control of our lives.

Monologue examines humanity's need to protect itself from our increasingly oppressive external environment. The collection explores transformable garments
that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy and protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with built-in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated into the collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes of psychologically soothing imagery. Visible only to the wearer, printed silk images of a calming night sky or optimistic sunrise create an accessible escape for the wearer.

Monologue maximizes the utilitarian function of clothing by providing portable safe spaces. Constructed using traditional tailoring techniques, each form also draws inspiration from engineering methods used in children’s pop-up books. Although it was not the initial impetus for this collection, Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of self-protection and distance. The turmoil we endured during quarantine has further contextualized the significance of isolation. In ways, we learn to distance ourselves from instability and chaos aroused by the pandemic and remain calm and optimistic towards the future. When our society seems to be circulating depressing and negative news, it is crucial not to be suffocated by the pessimistic, cynical spirits. Quarantine, a metaphoric distance between us and the outside world, gives us time to reflect and gather our emotions. It helps us see clearer and prepare us to return for when the world recovers. Likewise, with Monologue, by placing distance between the issues and ourselves, we can see it directly. Monologue's purpose is not to escape from the problem entirely; it is a mere pause to find a resolution when we are ready to return.