Collection 001 is a reflection of growing up queer as immigrants and our experience of dressing to fit in. For adolescents universally, the outward presentation of appearance became an important way to communicate who we are, however it might not have fully represented our inner truth. With the idea of “Cosplaying Normality’’ in mind, we reminisced reveries of youth through our now fully realized selves. Part SoCal fantasia and part Ivy League prep, our memories are refracted with Ouer codes of unexpected materials and silhouettes to create a mirage of our teenage years. Casual staples like camp shirts and cargo pants are constructed with dramatic couture volume, while the quintessential frat style double collar polo is reimagined in high spark lurex. Proportions are distorted in tailoring, with an elongated blazer and a trouser that is reimagined from a formal ball skirt. With this collection, we are establishing a language of materials and colors that is distinctively Ouer. A continuation of fabrications in sensuous textures, we also explored materials in more technical hands to add a sense of sportiness. Twisted scholastic colors juxtaposed with those reminiscent of sunbleached Californian outdoors created a cinematic palette, rendering the collection to feel familiar but not quite true.
