r.l.e’s SS23 collection grew from the idea of ‘waves’; the collection explores waves in all their forms and understands them as a fundamental basis for not only human life but also the natural and spiritual world. From a scientific comprehension, the whole universe is formulated from a constant stream of waves vibrating all around us, these waves create the world we live in today, they allow us to verbally communicate with each other as well as navigate our way through the world. From a spiritual and emotional understanding, these waves are an intangible phenomenon that is above our comprehension; the waves allow us to connect with each other, understanding the emotional capabilities of others to develop empathy and love.

 

By exploring the law of attraction and the law of vibrations, the designer Qixin discovered that these intangible "waves' ' generate a person's emotional state. These waves are what relate us to other people as well as the planet we reside on, helping us find friendships and relationships and ignite connections deeper than surface level.

 

The designer Qixin uses ‘water’ as a physical metaphor to allow us to have a physical and visual representation of the notion of the wave, as water is the organic association for waves in the physical world. Water is a natural substance that is the foundation of life on earth. Throughout the collection, Qixin uses water in all its forms as inspiration, from the colours of the ocean to the way water moves or even the different formations water is able to transform itself into such as raindrops or ripples.

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"I can see everyone has a flower growing inside" - Qixin Zhang

 

In keeping with Qixin's design tenet, her signature design elements, such as flowing petals and flowers, have been married into this collection. Not only do the "waves" impact our minds, but they also significantly influence our lives. This sustainability mission of r.l.e has set the brand distinguished from a world that is consumed with heavy pollution to demonstrate how this negatively impacts natural occurrences such as our water which is a basis for not only human life but also the innocence of planet earth, the pollution is poisoning the purity and beauty of the human beings as well the planet. r.l.e believes it is the individual's responsibility to acknowledge this destruction and take their own accountability for what they can do to help protect the plant. Qixin and her team lead by example, making sure to gather all of the cut-out leftover fabrics, cut them into stripes and turn them into 3D Yarns; they then wove and crocheted them into accessories, shoes and clothes, to make sure that nothing at all went to waste.

 

r.l.e's core message throughout all of their collections remains the same, they look to advocate that sustainability should be a way of life and not just a phase or chore; sustainability is about giving our waste a second chance at life and creating a continuous lifecycle rather than appreciating it for one purpose and then disposing of it; much like that of a flower blooming and wilting throughout the seasons, nothing should ever be forgotten, everything deserves the chance to be beautiful again r.l.e