Airplane Mode

‘I wanted to travel and I wanted to keep moving, physically and mentally, but couldn’t.’ This topical sentiment was the starting point for Mirae Moon’s final collection. Stuck at home, the womenswear designer turned to a radically different sort of closed space – the inside of an airplane. ‘You’re in the comfort of your seat but still moving forward,’ Mirae elaborates. ‘I liked that balance.’ The entire structure of an airplane served as inspiration. The smoother silhouettes mimic the way panels on wings combine to form an aerodynamic shape (one look sees trousers fold upward to become a hood); elongated bodies imitate a plane’s tail; and another silhouette recalls the arched interior of a 1970s airplane. The inspiration wasn’t limited only to the physical structure, but blue is the dominant colour in tribute to flight attendant fashion. The idea of an airplane as a comforting cocoon-like space in contrast with the restrictive reality of lockdown also relates to Mirae’s name. She explains: ‘it means shelter, protection, like a cocoon, and I wanted to bring that energy to the project.’ With our uncertain future, Mirae’s air-travel-infused fashion is a statement of intent – an escapist vision of moving forward. Lana Kozak, BA Fashion Journalism @lana_kozak