THORNED

Yehan Zhou

Summary
Final work

I am a designer who blends tradition with experimentation, focusing on the relationship between personal memory, bodily perception, and natural materials. My work often uses Chinese medicinal herbs to explore the balance between Eastern philosophy and contemporary expression, aiming to tell stories of female experience and cultural heritage through garments infused with emotional warmth and a sense of vitality.

I am a designer who blends tradition with experimentation, focusing on the relationship between p...

CollegeCentral Saint Martins
CourseMA Biodesign
Graduation year2025

THORNED explores female narratives within my family through the lens of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and techniques in fashion design. Centering on myrrh resin, I developed a natural dyeing and shaping coating that offers a silicone-like molding effect while being biodegradable and sustainable. Inspired by the maternal act of space purification using vinegar, the project reinterprets this ritual through the Chinese medicinal method of "vinegar-processing," creating a natural fabric coating from myrrh and vinegar. Beyond material innovation, THORNED opens a dialogue on women's healing traditions, intergenerational memory, and the potential of reconnecting with ancient knowledge in contemporary design. It invites audiences to reimagine sustainability not only as ecological responsibility but also as cultural and emotional continuity.