jolie-laide

Decorative Decay was inspired by the concept of “jolie-laide” or “pretty-ugly”: objects or designs that create interest through the juxtaposition of stereotypically non-aesthetic, unpretty things; opposing ideas, concepts, or visuals. It started with me thinking about my childhood summers in Taiwan, in a rather romantic and whimsical way: being out in nature, catching and playing with the native bugs of the island. However, examining these memories closer from my eyes today, it does seem a little grotesque. This lead me to thinking about creating patterns and prints which might look pretty from afar, but upon closer inspection seem to have some weird, gross, or unexpected details and elements that have the potential to subvert. I mapped these designs onto tea dresses, sun dresses, flowy shirts, and shirting, which are all typical attire for summer and spring gatherings. They’re often covered in bright, happy colors and floral motifs, so I followed a similar model, but covered these clothes in rotting, jewel-like fruits and the nocturnal beetles and moths that feed on rotting and decaying bio-matter.