Harvey Turner

This personal project looks into our connection with clothing and its ability to manipulate the way people perceive us. This project takes the form of a story an and acts as an introspection of my understanding of clothing growing up. Taking inspiration from childhood obsessions of mine and also highlights how we learn fashion’s language as we grow up—such as the act of playing dress-up as a child, dressing as who we wish to be. This relates to how we dress when we are older, with clothing reflecting who we want to be seen as (similar to how we used dress in childhood).

Is the act of wearing clothes an expression similar to how we expressed ourselves as children in the form of costume? Or even the same way in which animals use their appearance to benefit their survival.

My project follows a singular character named Levi, who wakes with no memory of who he is. As he journeys through unfamiliar environments, he absorbs influence from the people and spaces around him particularly through clothing and personal style. Mimicking those he encounters, Levi builds a fragmented identity shaped by external visuals rather than internal understanding. Inspired by the film Quadrophenia, the project explores the link between clothing, subculture, and identity, showing how Levi adopts the aesthetics of youth movements without fully grasping their meaning. His transformation is performative—an imitation rooted in confusion and longing for belonging.

The story reaches a pivotal moment when Levi retreats into nature. Here, stripped of outside influence, he enters a more instinctive, honest version of himself. This return to rawness signals a shedding of false layers and a deeper search for truth. Visually, the project is presented as a photo book with stylised imagery, character development, and costume shifts that mirror Levi’s internal journey. Influenced by Where the Wild Things Are a favourite childhood story.The work explores themes of identity, imagination, and self-reflection. It merges fashion, narrative, and performance, and ultimately becomes an introspective examination of how we shape who we are through the clothes we wear.