A C C E S S O R I E S
Nicholas Oen | Wong Yi Ting
When Nicholas and I got paired for this project, we didn’t know what direction to take at first. However, after planning it out with a few mind maps, our fashion accessories started to take shape.
So, firstly, we had to think of what constitutes the good and bad memories. For mine, the good memory was the smell of copic markers, while the bad memories were the smell of surgical gloves. For Nicholas, it was the smell of alcohol that gave him bad memories, whereas the smell of cigarettes was good. Through mind mapping, we realized two of our smells had something in common. The smell of copic markers and the smell of alcohol. Because copic markers are alcohol-based.
We settled on making a pendant and a bracelet, thinking it was most suitable for incorporating the characteristics and imagery of the scents and memories.
Firstly, the pendant. The pendant represents the smell of alcohol. The idea is that the smell of alcohol lingers around with the person drinking, therefore, we wanted it to be hanging around the neck, mirroring the scent. Also, we used curved and broken planes in order to construct this pendant. This inside spinning shell and the rigid outer layer cause an almost dizzying effect on anyone who looks at it; like the state of intoxication. Furthermore, the inner piece seems to be “floating” in the centre, thus adding on to the lingering smell that alcohol has when one goes to drink.
The pendant also looks heavy, and the outer layer seems to make it look very metallic and inorganic to many. This corresponds with the idea that alcohol smell is actually very strong and is weighty. Moreover, if you notice, the inside piece is painted with a glow-in-the-dark paint. This is supposed to signify the hidden element of the pendant. Because alcohol lasts to stink the drinker even after the drinking is done, the glow in the dark paint only appears when the light is turned off. In comparison, the paint is always there but people only can see it when the light is off. Thus, this pendant is a representation of both the smell of alcohol and the bad memories it gives.
Now, the bracelet. The bracelet represents the smell of copic markers, and is a good memory for me. Why we wanted to do a bracelet is because the smell of copic markers are very light, and usually bracelets are light as they are worn on the hand day in and out. Also, the material used in both pieces are the same. This is because we wanted to show the similarities of both with the alcohol component. However, because one is a good memory whereas the other one is bad, we added an extra component into the bracelet.
The curved plane that seems to be swiftly sticking out in a curved motion represents the fast and light effect that the copic marker’s smell has on the person. That, and the plastic broken planes which break away in a separate direction, only emphasises this sudden whiff of copic marker. And, the transparency of the plastic contrasts the dark opaque wire used to make the effect stand out even more.