21/05/2026
SHRINK
Designer: Xu Yilin
School: Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
“The project draws inspiration from childhood memories of wearing ill-fitting clothes, exploring the awkward and naïve bodily sensation created by garments that do not properly fit the body. At the same time, shrunken sweaters — caused by improper care and accidental washing shrinkage — present, in an unexpected physical way, the changing relationship between clothing and the body.
By combining the forms of ill-fitting garments and shrunken knitwear, the project connects the embodied memory of ‘childhood misfit clothing’ with the phenomenon of sweater shrinkage. Through knitwear, it reimagines and reconstructs the state of garments after accidental shrinking.
This design practice also reflects on the lifecycle of clothing, sustainable consumption, and the acceptance of imperfection in garments. Within the context of sustainable fashion and personalized consumption, shrunken clothing — traditionally regarded as ‘waste’ — can instead become a unique material with distinctive texture and potential for sustainable transformation.
This idea closely aligns with UPW’s philosophy of sustainable development through eco-conscious yarns. Both advocate for the cyclical use of resources, while encouraging greater attention toward the redesign, reuse, and sustainable circulation of ill-fitting garments.”
