Fashion for Change
A Multimedia Fashion Campaign Exploring Mental Health in the Black Community
Role: Fashion Design, Creative Direction, Digital Storytelling
Tools: Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, CLO3D, Blender, Substance Painter, Webflow
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Project Overview
Fashion for Change is a multimedia fashion campaign that uses clothing, digital animation, and branding to explore the often-unspoken conversation around mental health in the Black community.
Rather than positioning fashion as decoration, this project treats garments as narrative objects—supported by digital media that visualizes internal emotional states and expands the story beyond the physical body.
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Concept & Cultural Context
Mental health conversations within the Black community are frequently minimized or hidden, shaped by cultural expectations around strength, silence, and resilience.
This project centers on the tension between external composure and internal struggle. Through symbolism, material choices, and digital visualization, Fashion for Change aims to spark dialogue and visibility—without relying on personal testimony or didactic messaging.
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Visual Identity & Brand Direction
The brand identity draws from themes of futurism, restraint, and emotional weight.
Typography: Clean, modern typefaces to reflect clarity and honesty
Color Palette: Dark neutrals contrasted with metallic and reflective accents
Textures: Chains, distressed fabrics, embroidery, and hand-painted details used as symbolic language
Together, these elements create a visual system that feels intentional, grounded, and emotionally charged.
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The Collection
The capsule collection consists of three looks designed as symbolic expressions of internal experience.
Look 1 — Silence
Black cotton hoodie with silver chain detailing
Chains drape from one sleeve to represent the weight of unspoken struggles, while vertically placed logo screen-printing suggests identity constrained by silence. Hand-painted typography on the hood reinforces individuality beneath uniformity.
Look 2 — Emergence
Distressed zip-up hoodie with concealed text layer
Torn fabric reveals handwritten journal notes beneath the surface, symbolizing suppressed emotions beginning to surface. This look marks the transition from internalization toward expression.
Look 3 — Visibility
Embellished hoodie and sweatpants set
Hand embroidery and rhinestone detailing transform the garment into a statement of empowerment. The reflective elements symbolize voices being seen and heard—breaking through stigma and invisibility.
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Digital Fashion & Visual Storytelling
To extend the narrative beyond physical garments, I created a series of digital fashion animations that visualize the internal experiences the clothing represents.
Animation 01 — Internal Storm
The viewer enters the mind of a man wearing the collection’s hoodie, transitioning into a stormy ocean where he struggles to stay afloat—a metaphor for silent mental battles.
Tools: Blender, CLO3D
Role: Modeling, animation, lighting
Animation 02 — Self-Confrontation
In a follow-up sequence, the figure sits before a static-filled television. As the static clears, his face appears—reflecting the desire to be seen, understood, and acknowledged.
Tools: Blender, CLO3D
Role: Modeling, animation, lighting
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From Sketch to Simulation
Initial garment concepts were developed in Procreate, then digitally recreated in CLO3D. Materials and detailing were enhanced in Substance Painter to simulate realistic textile behavior before final rendering in Blender.
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Campaign Website
The project extends into a responsive campaign website designed to support the collection’s message.
Goals:
Provide context around the project’s themes
Present the apparel line clearly
Offer mental health support resources
The website prioritizes clarity, accessibility, and restrained visual storytelling—allowing the message to lead.
Moodboard + Style Tile
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Design Exploration &Iterations
Before arriving at the final direction, I explored multiple visual styles and color palettes to test how each one communicated the brand message around mental health awareness, strength, and community. Below are some of the alternate directions considered.
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Process & Reflection
Fashion for Change reflects my interest in building cohesive visual systems where fashion, branding, and digital media operate together.
This project strengthened my ability to:
Design concept-driven collections
Translate emotion into visual language
Integrate physical and digital storytelling
Build campaigns that extend beyond the garment
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Outcome
Fashion for Change exists as both a fashion collection and a digital campaign—demonstrating how design can be used to foster conversation, visibility, and cultural reflection through intentional storytelling.