Selina Kwong’s pre-collection ‘The Work of a Female Shapeshifter’ looks into the female surrealist Dorothea Tanning, whose career spans over 70 years, and has had incorporated an impressively wide range of media, from powerful early paintings that were heavily influenced by surrealism to extraordinary stuffed-textile sculptures, hence, a shape-shifter. Selina also wanted them to experiment with upcycling, using polypropylene tote bags, an item that is often given out for free art fairs.




Experimenting with the polypropylene tote bags, Selina discovered that the fabric could be melted with another fabric, combining them together to create this interesting texture. Referencing Tanning as a shapeshifter, she also decided to create modular designed garments, a garment that could be worn in several different ways and even turned into a bag. Lastly, she experimented with 3D printing and 3D software to create her own hardware like buttons, slides and beads.



Experimenting with the polypropylene tote bags, Selina discovered that the fabric could be melted with another fabric, combining them together to create this interesting texture. Referencing Tanning as a shapeshifter, she also decided to create modular designed garments, a garment that could be worn in several different ways and even turned into a bag. Lastly, she experimented with 3D printing and 3D software to create her own hardware like buttons, slides and beads.




Referencing Tanning’s soft sculptures, Selina incorporated padded and puffed garments in her final line up, as well as textiles created with the polypropylene bags. Most of the garments are also modular design garments and could be worn in several different ways.