Demaoling Wen

This project explores memory, loss, and emotional inheritance through the lens of bespoke tailoring. At its heart is the figure of my grandfather, a botanist specialized in bamboo whose presence lingered through the bamboo grove he left behind. Though he has passed, his quiet strength, aesthetic restraint, and connection to nature continue to shape how I see identity and dress. 

Using bamboo as a personal emotional symbol, this collection reinterprets my grandfather’s wardrobe. It merges elements of traditional Zhongshan suit with contemporary tailoring and silhouettes, imagining how his presence might translate into modern fashion.

As part of a collaborative embroidery project sponsored by Hainsworth. This project I worked with Abby Faulkner from embroidery and it includes 3 bespoke tailored outfits and the aim is to create a visual language that bridges the past and present. The project also contrasts Chinese and Western aesthetics, especially in how the body is framed.

This work is not nostalgic, but reflective, seeking new forms of expression within absence. Through silhouette, fabric, and embroidery pattern, I trace the emotional residue of a person no longer here and reimagine what it means to dress someone you remember.