In our new series, The Graduates, we introduce you to several newly-minted talents worth watching. First up: Mary Chin, whoes thesis collection at Parsons looked to "things that can't be explained."
In her final collection, Mary Chin looked especially to the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Her design inspiration may be cryptic, but there's no mystery about the success of the finished collection, which is at once tecchie, brainy, and elegant.
Looking at Mary's debut lookbook is rather like peering into the future of fashion. Describing her aesthetic as "utilitarian mixed with sci-fi and a touch of new age," Mary's unusual construction methods and creative use of technology come together in something futuristic, but also enticing and wearable. We don't often find ourselves in the market for "blistered polyorganza," but afterperusing Mary's work, we might just be converts.
Mary's silhouettes are often long and layered, with dramatic floor-sweeping gowns in digital printed jersey, oversize silk cardigans with uneven stripes, and drapey tunics in gleaming liquid chiffon. She became "obsessed with knitwear" under the tutelage of one of her professors, who worked with her on select pieces for Clavin Klein made entirely of transparent yarn and IV-tubing.
Some of our favorite pieces from her solo collection include "vacuum packed leggings," which feature burnout cotton jersey layered beneath transparent chiffon, a latex raincoat dyed mint green, and a swimsuit made entirely of wetsuit material. We eagerly anticipate the day that we come across a Mary Chin label while tolling the racks at Oak or Opening Ceremony.
Look for more on Mary Chin as we follow her freshman year as a full-fledged member of the city's bustling fashion industry.
