Hanwen (Zack) Zhang – Senior Thesis Project 2023

Major: BFA Fashion Design

Contact: Instagram | LinkedIn | Email

Hometown: Qingdao, China

My inspiration for this collection came from the Vaporwave art style, which blends futuristic and retro elements in a hazy, surreal style. I’m drawn to the saturated colors of classical statues and retro items, which I incorporated into my designs. My goal is to create a series with a fantastic, hazy style that evokes a sense of vapor.

I enjoy exploring Steam Wave elements and combining them into my designs, mixing functional and neutral styles with Vaporwave’s aesthetic. For my primary fabric, I used leatherwear in different colors for different parts of each look. I designed the pockets specifically to have a more masculine and three-dimensional look, with multiple “bags” on each design. This approach enhances the collection’s Vaporwave aesthetic.