Jie Li

This collection challenged me to address the most fundamental of elements of designing clothes, that of craft, technique and making. I combined pleating and quilting, overlapping multiple layers of chiffon to create new colors. The palette was inspired by the Japanese photographer Yamayochi, who lived on the summit of Mt. Fuji over a period of five years photographing the sunrise. The results of this effort are often spectacular: at times the photographs almost seem to show an alien world, full of brilliant yellows, searing oranges, and radiant blues. But this book is not just about showing beautiful scenery, which is far removed from our daily lives. By reaching a point as far away from the earth--and as close to outer space as possible, Yamauchi asks the viewer to consider the fragility of their own existence.