RUEI-JEI CHONG

“Fractured Path” begins with the concept of an earthquake, expanding from geological dislocation to the collapse of human life and daily routines.
The collection is built around the three stages of a quake — foreshock, mainshock, and aftershock — using contrasting materials such as knit and leather to express the instability and rupture of the earth's surface.

The foreshock phase features symmetrical structures as a subtle prelude to the coming disaster.
The mainshock is expressed through distortion and compression, highlighting the sharp contrast between knit and leather through asymmetric silhouettes.
The aftershock phase retains a sense of dislocation and unease, reflecting the chaos of a world struggling to return to order after destruction.

The collection’s styling extends to figures affected by the quake — workers leaving damaged sites and civilians fleeing in panic.
Worker looks combine asymmetry with moments of symmetry to portray disruption, while evacuee outfits use simple garments paired with leather-knit accessory bags and large travel totes to represent the hurried chaos of escape.

This collection reveals the ruptured relationship between people and their environment caused by seismic events, using the language of clothing to respond to imbalance and fragmentation.