Samantha Xiao

'Living with the Ocean' collection is inspired by the ocean landscape and the ocean garbage to focus on the impact of the harm caused by waste in the ocean. I was inspired by the documentary A Plastic Ocean. A Plastic Ocean documents what happens to plastic products when they are "thrown away." As the filmmakers discovered, the growing and indestructible plastic pollution remains in the otherwise clean ocean. The beauty of the sea is in stark contrast to the pollution. This made me want to make a change in my design.
My collection explores heat-forming techniques to turn plastic into wearable garments and accessories, experiment with different fabric manipulations to create new textures and develop digital printing patterns inspired by the sea. I aim to bring awareness to protecting and cherishing the ocean and marine resources and coexist with the ocean.