Futing Li
(She/Her)
Watching the ritual scenes in The Last Dance, I became interested in the objects that exist between the living and the dead. Paper lanterns, banners and other ceremonial forms are created only for a particular moment, yet they carry emotions and meanings beyond their physical existence. I began to see ritual as a way of giving form to things that cannot be touched — grief, remembrance and connection. Through this collection, I explore how these temporary objects and gestures can be translated onto the body, allowing clothing to become part of an imagined ritual of memory.
The last dance
This fabric-centered womenswear collection draws from Taoist funeral spirit banners and paper lanterns, framing these ritual objects as vessels of collective memory to explore how ceremonial pieces sustain intergenerational emotional bonds. It reinterprets delicate folk paper craft through layered construction and fine cutwork, shaping dimensional silhouettes that balance rigid structure and fragile softness. Light nylon, waterproof textiles and Bemis bonding create a stark material contrast, echoing the dual themes of remembrance and renewal within mourning customs. Instead of copying ritual aesthetics superficially, the collection translates ceremonial forms and paper craft logic into modern womenswear through repeated material testing, offering a restrained contemporary perspective on underrepresented ritual heritage.
