Object 1: A bag of jasmine tea
This is a bag of my favorite jasmine green tea that my parents bought me when I went back home a year ago. We used to sit together after breakfast or lunch, chat and drink tea. It is one of my favorite family moments with my parents and grandparents. Every time before I left home to study in the U.S., my parents would buy me several bags of tea for me to drink during the semester. Usually when I finished all of the tea, it was time to go home for winter break or summer break. Now because of covid, I haven’t been able to go home for a year. Sometimes I would drink the jasmine tea and the aroma would remind me of those happy moments spent with my family.
Object 2: Perfume
This is the first perfume my mom gave me as a gift when I was 15 and I kept buying the same perfume for the past 9 years. When I was 15, “trying to be pretty” was not allowed at high school. Everyone wore the same baggy uniform, had the same hairstyles, and spent all day studying, like most school students in China. My mom wanted me to be pretty and have a different adolescence. She ironed my uniforms every day, bought me beautiful clothes just for weekends, and encouraged me to do fun things other than study. I developed my interests in art and fashion because of her. This perfume always reminds me of her love and how she taught me to be the person I want to be regardless of outside pressure.
Object 3: The reproduction of Jacquline Kennedy Onassis’s bracelet.
Jacquline Kennedy Onassis is one of my favorite fashion icons. She had a unique, impeccable taste of jewelry. She gave Camrose & Kross company authorization to reproduce the jewelry she has worn. She wore this bracelet on an unofficial state visit to India in 1962. I really like Jackie O’s elegant style so I purchased this reproduced bracelet. Every time I wore this bracelet, it reminded me of her elegance and wisdom. Because of her and this bracelet, I fell in love with vintage fashion styles, studied fashion history, and started to wear timeless chic pieces.
Object 4: Metal roses
These two roses were made by me and my boyfriend two years ago. Every year before Valentine’s Day, the Design Lab staff at Lehigh would teach people to make metal roses at the Wilbur Powerhouse. It was a lovely time when we were bending those metal foils and chatting. We kept them carefully although we have moved several times in the past two years. It always brings back memories of happy moments we spent together.
Object 5: Suit
This is my first suit my parents bought me 5 years ago. It was before a debate competition and I was so nervous, so they bought this to cheer me up. I thought it was too expensive back then, but my dad believed that I would be more confident if I dress sharp. I have worn this suit to many important occasions, my first presentation in college, my first interview, and my first day of work. It always reminds me of my parents’ love and support.
Object 6: Clothes patterns
Those rolls are clothes patterns that I developed last year. I am a big fan of vintage fashion style from the 1930s to 1950s. After taking two sewing classes, it has become my hobby to look up old photos online, develop clothes patterns and make them into real clothes.
Very feminine arrangement, offset by the blazer. We needed the explanation to understand what the rolls of paper were.
I’m a huge fan of your assemblage’s color scheme. The navy and white objects work well together, and I find that is enhanced by the inclusion of primarily green and brown accents. I do wish the image wasn’t as tightly cropped, especially for the cloth rolls and the blazer’s hanger, since those two areas help to vary the space of your composition and its balance of color.