MODA Designer Profile: Wendy Xiao
Wendy Xiao is a a third year history and art history double major who draws a lot in her free time. They bought a pink self lighting Christmas tree in January when Christmas trees were on sale, and it really made their year.
What are your style inspirations in terms of aesthetics, characters, or personas?
I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to have a style lately because I’ve just been at home. I recently got a pair of UNC Jordan 1s so I’ve been experimenting with blue themed outfits but it’s one of my least worn colours so it’s not going great. Sometimes if I have a class on Chinese history I would wear my hanfu, dressing era appropriate.
What was your thought process in coming up with your collection?
I was actually going to something entirely different for my collection. It was going to be three pieces inspired by the Butterfly Lovers violin concerto because I listened to that on loop every day during Fall quarter when I was applying to be a designer. It was going to be set in the final act of the story/piece where Zhu Yingtai jumps into the grave of her dead lover Liang Shanbo (who died of a heartbreak when he found out she was betrothed to another man) so the three outfits were going to be: Liang Shanbo’s funeral dress, Zhu Yingtai’s wedding dress, and the personified lighting bolt that struck open LSB’s grave for ZYT to jump in. However I didn’t end up following through because I would have to buy so much fabric and it's the year 2021 so if I manage to finish one outfit it would be a miracle.
I also drew a bunch of sketches that went nowhere, but I think they’re cute so I’ll show them off here.
Sketches the designer made during the process of creating the dress.
Which city do you think represents the ethos of this collection the best?
I’m not really sure if this collection represents any city, I haven’t left my apartment in a year and a half now, I don’t think I know what cities look like anymore.
For lack of photos of herself that match the dress, Wendy chose her sheet pan dinner with white and green herbs, and carrots, which are all represented in her collection.
Her sheet pan dinner that “matches the vibes of my dress.”
Describe the dress you designed and what inspired it.
White and green flower print dress for “walking” carrots, based on easy prom dress tutorials, Minju Kim’s wedding dress design in Next in Fashion S2 Finale, and Daniel Radcliffe ‘s waist dog leash.
I was mostly inspired by Spring, the season, since our show is in May this year. I also had this cool fabric with these small white and green flowers embroidered on it so I wanted to use that. I was originally going to do a couples outfit, one outfit is a rabbit and the other is a carrot inspired hanfu but alas life does not always go the way we planned because it's 2021. I will only do one outfit for this show :(
Winning Designer of Next in Fashion (S1), Minju Kim
I don’t know what exactly inspired this dress. I think I was just looking at YouTube tutorials on easy prom dresses. The headdress is inspired by the wedding dress designed by Minju Kim in the Next in Fashion finale, and the overall vibe is inspired by this photo of Daniel Radcliffe
How do you see your designing experience fit into your larger life experience?
My life isn't very large. I don’t smoke nor do I know how to walk dogs. I guess I could walk a couple of carrots.
Every great designer has their start somewhere. In your experience with designing and fashion, what was most rewarding? What was hardest for you to learn?
I’m not sure if I would describe this as the most rewarding part, but my favourite part of designing is when I get to do fittings with my models and I get to see how they feel in the outfit. It’s super exciting! Also when I don’t think something will fit and then it fits. That’s super rewarding. I think the hardest part to learn for me is still basic sewing things. I still don’t really understand how you make a 2d thing into a 3d thing. I don’t know how I made my collection last year because right now I’m extremely confused by everything I’m cutting out.
Anything especially precious about this collection, or this year’s show?
It’s so cool that David and David are running this year’s show, and Kiki and Khadijat who I hear have been helping out a lot. We were all in the same DBC group (also shout out to Ally) and that was probably the highlight of my MODA experience last year. I just can’t believe there will be a show this year bro, hell yeah!
