BEN HEISLER

Age: 24
Hometown: Ocean City, NJ
School and Year: Fashion Institute of Technology, 3rd semester


What is fashion to you? Fashion is the means by which we communicate about ourselves, visually: it broadcasts our identities, values, aesthetics, and aspirations.

Collection: "My Life in Beads" - It is inspired by the ceremonial dress of the Huli Wigman, an indigenous culture of Papua New Guinea. The collection draws on the traditional costuming techniques of this vibrant culture, combining vivid, rich color; textures that range from airy and smooth to rough and organic; and hand-crafted beaded and feathered decorations. These aesthetic ingredients have been synthesized and adapted for contemporary silhouettes with soft skirts, elaborate accessories, and feathered bodices.

What/who inspires you? My work is inspired by the women it's designed for: women who are as intellectually confident as they are playfully feminine; women who transform the dissonance between powerful personalities and demure girlishness into buoyant, lively fashion and self-expression. My muses include Yulia Tyemoshenko, Alek Wek, and Tilda Swinton.

What does Fusion mean to you? Fusion offers me the opportunity as an emerging designer to share my work on a large scale, to set it in motion on the runway, and to give it life and form beyond simple sketches and draping exercises.


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