Born To Decay
Model: Oli
Fashion Designer: Junyi Dong
Photographer: Wisdom Warner
interviewer: Kirill Zarin
To introduce You to our readers, we’d love to share a bit about Your background and journey in the fashion world. Perhaps You could tell us about Your early inspirations or a pivotal moment that shaped Your career as a designer?
Junyi Dong: I draw my inspirations from three primary sources: nature, femininity, and the future. In my work, I’d like to utilize unconventional materials from daily life instead of traditional fabrics. At the same time, my project Born to Decay underscores my commitment to sustainability and zero waste knitwear, as all fibers used in her designs are 100% natural and biodegradable, including cotton, linen, alpaca and wool. As a female designer, I also deeply explores themes related to womanhood, embracing my gender identity in the world of art. My projects span from the aesthetic influences of 1950s Hitchcock films to futuristic concepts like human parthenogenesis 5 million years from now. My distinctive approach involves using near-future techniques to visualize distant futures.
Your works have a very interesting texture and intricate weaving. How do You choose materials for Your collections?
Junyi Dong: The topic of life compeled me to use only natural and biodegradable materials to connect with nature. I hope my creations can be fully utilized and, at the end of their lifecycle, return to the earth to nourish other forms of life. This is why I use materials like cotton, silk, wool, and alpaca. All the yarn is either in its natural color or dyed with natural pigments.
In Your designs, there is a noticeable combination of rough natural fabrics with more refined, delicate elements. What inspires You to create such contrasting combinations?
Junyi Dong: Much of my visual inspiration for this project came from life forms like moss and fungi, which may live and die within a day. I love their delicate tendrils reaching towards the sky, which led me to choose mohair to convey this gentle probing. The dried-branch-looking yarn, on the other hand, became the sturdy parts, providing visual support. All the yarn scraps I use were eventually combed into fine fibers and felted onto silk pants, achieving another cycle of life.
What message do You aim to convey to the fashion world through Your designs?
Junyi Dong: Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and fashion designers are in a position that demands reflection and foresight. When I delved deeply into fabrics, materials, and their components, I couldn’t ignore the pain behind each garment on the market. I hope my designs can bring people peace, joy, and strength, rather than irreversible sorrow. There are many ways to be environmentally friendly and many paths to achieve sustainable design. What if one of those paths is truly sustainable?
