The Smell of Stars
Vanda Ouyang, B.F.A. Fashion Design, decided to use her collection to embrace nostalgia. Titled “The Smell of Stars,” her concept takes us on a journey of what you can imagine stars would smell like. This would include certain scents such as gunpowder, liquid metal, and even welding fumes.
Ouyang translates these sensory impressions into her design through experimenting with burning fabrics to create raw, uncontrolled textures. She implements sequins and delicate lace to capture the radiant, shimmery quality of stars.
“From my childhood memories of reading a book by myself, biting my fingers, and having that sensorial curiosity, it made me want to explore other random things in depth, and this book inspired me to do just that,” explained Ouyang, sharing that her collection is inspired by the book, “The Little Prince.” “It was the first book I can recall reading by myself, so it holds a very special place for me. Growing up, my parents were very busy people, so I had to become a very independent child, and reading this book was the moment where I realized I was much stronger than I thought.”
The silhouettes and fabric of Ouyang’s garments blend the harmonious use of puffy dresses and structured but edgy necklines. There is such movement in the clothes that allows one to be transported to the swirling clouds of stars, dust, and gas. The burning fabrics against the gleaming sequins are a fusion of the luminous balls of gas covered in a veil of lace. These include the burning of cotton fabrics, as well as the sequins and lace. The rose fabric is the epitome of a storyteller in this collection, as it references the rose in the book, which the Little Prince mourns when he enters Earth from his asteroid. The boning is used to shape the silhouettes, which give them a sculptural and ethereal presence. The shapes include other cosmic elements such as the crescent moon and the enormous empty space that is the galaxy.
Ouyang is an inspired artist who shares that she developed her artistic style through her family. “My father is also an artist, very traditional,” said Ouyang. “He taught me the vulnerability and strength it takes to channel your emotions in art, and not something negative. Through him, I gained the confidence to truly take the time to grow as an artist and find out what that truly means. For me, it’s to express my emotions and candidly process my observations, whether that be what I see or smell.”
Ouyang’s Spring 2025 collection fuses such powerful and contrasting elements to deliver a unique cosmic fantasy. “The Smell of Stars” leaves a stimulating sensory impression through memories and fabric.
Words by Itzel Morales, B.F.A. Fashion Communication and Styling
