Shawna

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This look from Bound embodies the boundedness to culture, community, and emotions. The butterfly knots halter, set in a deep red, was inspired by the queer love story from the Chinese legend Butterfly Lovers. Wu revisits the story of endless love, and the simultaneous co-existing of traditional and radical, as seen in her own design philosophy, aiming to preserve her Chinese heritage. The knots incorporate experimental draping, and are layered with a double bind of attachment and freedom; through jie 结, meaning "knot" and jie 解, relating to "untie". The piece retains nuances of sensuality and the culture of the Chinese butterfly knot – a symbol of love and longevity. 

Butterfly Lovers – set in the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD317-420) – narrates the love between Zhu Yingtai, daughter of wealthy Zhu family, who cross-dressed to attend school, and Liang Shanbo, her best friend from school-turned foster brother and then lover. Liang, upon discovering Zhu’s true identity, asks for her hand in marriage. He dies upon rejection, for she is promised to another. On the day of her wedding, Zhu’s carriage stops to take shelter from a storm at Liang’s tomb. When she goes to pay her respects, the tomb opens and she jumps in. The lovers emerge from the tomb as a pair of butterflies; thus a love that lasts forever.

Shawna Wu is a New York City based designer of Taiwanese descent who was born and raised in Singapore. She graduated from Parsons School of Design with a Fashion Design BFA in 2017. Wu continued her exploration into textiles, knitwear, and knots post-graduation and released her Ready-to-Wear collection in 2020. She merges elements of heritage with themes of fetishism, celebrating the traditional and radical. Wu’s designs are made with discarded textile wastes and natural fibres, for sustainability purposes. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Vogue Singapore and Female. She has also made custom pieces for artist Charli XCX and virtual influencer Lil Miquela.