Ball & Chain

Ball & Chain began as a wedding dress collection sketched during my engagement, rooted in the optimism and fantasy of planning a marriage that ultimately never took place. The drawings started as traditional gestures toward commitment and ceremony, but as they evolved, so did the emotional tone—romantic silhouettes gave way to sharper lines, exposed structures, and elements that hinted at restraint and tension. Designing became a way to process anticipation alongside doubt, allowing the collection to hold conflicting feelings at once.

Visually, the collection blended the poised elegance of Audrey Hepburn with the rebellious irreverence of Vivienne Westwood, merging refinement with punk disruption. Classic bridal references—corsetry, white fabric, fitted waists—were distorted through asymmetry, hardware, and attitude, reframing marriage as something both aspirational and constricting. In retrospect, Ball & Chain reads as a record of an unrealized future, where love, autonomy, and resistance coexist within garments that question the symbolism they appear to celebrate.