Still Here
Still Here is a collection of three concept-driven handbags made entirely from waste materials - disposable grocery bags, textile waste, and plastic coffee cups - each referencing a different luxury fashion brand: Balenciaga, Diesel, and Coperni.
The issues at the core of this project are the invisibility of post-consumer materials, throwaway culture, fashion’s waste problem, and the disconnect between what we constantly use and what we value. In the world of fashion, bags are not just accessories, they are some of the most powerful symbols of status, identity, and desire. So, using bags as a medium was an intentional choice to translate the theoretical framework of the project into tangible form.
These bags connect with audiences by using some of the boldest fashion brands’ iconic bag forms to deliver an unexpected message. I used each brand’s visual language as a way to grab attention, but then flipped it through contrast and material choice. At first glance, the bags appear to be desirable fashion products. But when observed closely, they reveal their true nature: waste (plastic coffee cups, disposable grocery bags and textile waste). Through this contradiction, the project invites reflection on value, perception, and material worth. What truly makes something desirable or valuable? Is it the material itself, or can meaning, story, and transformation imbue discarded matter with equal, if not greater, worth?