Shape Shifter

ERGO [PROXY]’s debut collection “Shape Shifter” explores the themes of materiality, anti-consumerism, identity, and mathematics. It is an exploration into designer Jada Chen’s patrilineal roots in mathematics. Pieces combine laser cutting, VFX, graphing, software such as the numeric computing platform MATLAB, and rendering technologies with traditional crafts like origami, pleating, and shibori. These techniques compel the unification of the interconnected subjects of mathematics and art and the collaboration with her father, Professor Jingyi Chen, to develop algorithms and create models for zero-waste pattern drafting and draping. Motifs include Euclidean and non-euclidean geometry, vector fields, and modularity.

The collection leverages the thermoplastic qualities of polyester fabrics to create unique 3D shapes, resulting in textiles that require zero heat washing and drying, reducing the carbon footprint of the garment and increasing its longevity.

The video serves as a critique of unsustainable practices within the fashion industry and challenges the excessive focus on gimmicks and performance over thoughtful design and construction. The concave structure of the cape becomes both a visual projection of the data its wearer processes and an insulating, protective shell for the android navigating through the overwhelming sensory input surrounding it. Cyclical motifs further exemplify the frustration with how consumption-driven and attention-seeking behaviors have become deeply ingrained in the fashion orbit. It becomes easy to feel drowned out and disconnected in the ever-crescendoing cacophony of noise.