JIAXUN

Jiaxun Li is a fashion designer born and raised in China, now based in New York City. Their path into fashion was shaped by a non-linear journey of personal transformation. Starting at the University of Hong Kong, Jiaxun engaged deeply with Western literature, sci-fi, theology, and art history—disciplines that would become core influences in their worldview. After moving overseas at thirteen to live with a Catholic host family, they sought refuge in books and immersed themselves in philosophical and theological studies. These experiences rooted a deep interest in dystopian narratives that now define their design ethos. Jiaxun’s work explores chaos, trauma, and existential turmoil, often constructing imaginative superhuman forms to address themes of vulnerability and destruction. They draw inspiration from the apocalyptic themes in the Bible’s Book of Revelation and the radical ideals of Futurism, while critically engaging with its violent and misogynistic origins. Their designs speak to society’s outsiders—those alienated by convention—offering garments that express rebellion, destruction, and liberation.

Thesis Statement:

Xemorrah is a thesis collection that reimagines the biblical city of Sodom through a futuristic, dystopian lens. The collection consists of five garments—The Nun Pig, Boundage Owl, Cracked Egg, Iron Maiden, and Scold Fish—each inspired by the grotesque imagery in Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. These designs symbolize the excess, vice, and moral decay of a world teetering on the edge of collapse. Driven by a belief that humanity has reached a breaking point of material and informational overconsumption, the collection serves as both a reflection and a warning. Jiaxun developed two key design techniques: layering, to depict the accumulation and pollution of fabric waste; and generative pattern-making, influenced by AI logic, blending algorithmic control with chaotic draping. The results are garments that are both violent and captivating, intentionally irrational, mirroring the senselessness of contemporary culture. Influences include the noir futurism of Kenomiya, Alexander McQueen’s Plato’s Atlantis, the manifestos of Italian Futurists, and the radical visuals of artists like Salvia and collectives like Fecale Matters. With Xemorrah, Jiaxun does not merely design garments—they construct a fashion mythology for a world in collapse.