HAYDEN YANG

'ADOLESCENCE’ STARTED FORM MY VULNERABLE AND IMMATURE MOMENT WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. I CAME TO REALIZE THAT THE PREVAILING CULTURAL NORMS IN MY COUNTRY TEND TO DE-EMPHASIZE INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUALITY, INSTEAD FORCING A STANDARDIZED APPROACH THAT SEEKS TO SHAPE ITS PEOPLE INTO IDENTICAL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. THIS MADE ME KEEP CONFORMING AND COMPARING MYSELF TO OTHERS.

THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM EXACERBATED THIS. THE RESTRICTIVE IDEOLOGY THAT DEMANDED ALL STUDENTS TO WEAR THE SAME UNIFORMS, TO GET THE SAME HAIR STYLE, BE TAUGHT THE SAME EDUCATION, AND STRIVE TOWARD THE SAME GOALS MADE ME FEEL TRAPPED IN A SUFFOCATING CAGE. I FELT LIKE A HELPLESS PIG, WHO COULD ONLY RECEIVE AND EAT FOOD WITHOUT ANY HOPE OF ESCAPING THE SITUATION. BEING A “GOOD STUDENT” MEANT WAITING FOR MY QUALITY TO BE GRADED BY THE STANDARDS SOCIETY REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION TO “GOOD UNIVERSITIES.” WITHIN SUCH A COERCIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM, I WITNESSED THE EMERGENCE OF A CLEAR HIERARCHY OF POWER, OPPRESSION, AND VIOLENCE AMONG STUDENTS. I BECAME ACUTELY AWARE OF THE IMPACT THIS SYSTEM HAD ON MY IDENTITY. WE WERE LIKE TOOLS OR LIVESTOCK, YET NO ONE DARED TO QUESTION THE INHERENT UNFAIRNESS OF THE SITUATION.

IN THIS COLLECTION, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF THE SYSTEM WE WERE SUBJECTED TO. THEREFORE, I DECONSTRUCTED THE CONVENTIONAL VESTIGES OF SCHOOL UNIFORM. THROUGH THIS EXPRESSION, I ASPIRE TO IMPART UPON OTHERS THE PROFOUND NOTION THAT THEY POSSESS AN INNATE ALLURE, A BEAUTY THAT RENDERS THEIR EXISTENCE INVALUABLE.