Meng Tong — BFA Fashion Design 2025

Collection

I hope my design becomes part of a larger conversation— not a declaration, but a gesture: a tribute to memory, a voice for survival, and a step toward becoming whole.

ins: @_cygne
email: tongmengtm2024@gmail.com
Personal Website: https://mengtongtong.com

Image: I observed that on today’s Christopher Street, some walls are layered with torn, weathered posters—some peeling, some covered with newer ones. Inspired by this, I collected LGBTQ bar posters from different decades and arranged them chronologically, recreating the layered, worn quality of repeatedly torn and replaced street posters. This process became the basis for developing textile prints and fabric manipulation samples that reflect this visual and historical layering.

Image: In my design process, I directly used old garments as both material and structural elements. I deconstructed and reassembled second-hand clothing I had collected, which not only reflects an environmentally conscious approach but also reinforces my concept of intertwining history and the present. For example, the leather pants in this look were made by reconstructing several recycled leather jackets, and the denim used in the printed vest later in the collection also comes from repurposed jeans.

Image: I wanted to express a sense of layering and spreading. I used snap buttons as key elements to transform the structure of the clothing—creating hidden sections and allowing the size or shape of the garment to shift. This reveals traces of what might have been forgotten, highlighting how history continues to influence the present.

Image: I also drew inspiration from some of Stanley Stellar’s photographs, especially the expressive fashion details and silhouettes of the openly gay individuals he captured, as well as protest signs held by rebellious groups. I incorporated elements such as underwear, short shorts, spaghetti-strap tank tops, skinny jeans, and leather pants into my designs. These garments were layered, draped, and recombined—for instance, merging briefs with denim trousers. I was particularly inspired by how the people in Stellar’s photos often wore very basic clothing, yet through folding, layering, or unconventional styling, they conveyed a powerful sense of masculinity. I translated this sensibility into my own work.

Bio

My name is Meng Tong. As a designer raised in a traditional Chinese household, I draw inspiration from personal experiences to explore identity, cultural complexity, and environmental responsibility. Navigating the tension between societal expectations and self-expression, I found in fashion a powerful medium for storytelling. My designs often incorporate recycled materials, layered prints, and adaptable silhouettes—reflecting a dialogue between history, identity, and sustainability. I view myself not just as a recipient of external influences, but as an active filter—processing, transforming, and reinterpreting them through a deeply personal lens.
For me, design is more than aesthetics or function; it is a dynamic, intimate, and socially engaged form of art that responds to the world around us. By blending cultural symbolism with ecological awareness, I aim to create work that is both expressive and responsible—honoring the past while imagining inclusive, sustainable futures.

I grew up in a traditional Chinese household, surrounded by deeply rooted gender roles and cultural expectations. As I gradually realized that my identity differed from these expectations, I found myself caught between silence and self-exploration, searching for a way to express a self that could coexist with inherited beliefs.
Coming to Parsons and living in New York marked a turning point. For the first time, I was immersed in a more open and inclusive environment—one where the identity that once felt isolating was met with understanding and acceptance. I began to critically reflect on how culture, memory, and power shape identity, not only in daily life but across history.
While researching the stories of marginalized communities, particularly the queer liberation movement, I became drawn to the marks of time, the tension between fragility and resilience, and the ways garments could be reshaped, adapted, and transformed. I was deeply moved by the emotional weight carried by secondhand clothing and began to explore the subtle balance between concealment and revelation. By deconstructing and reconstructing old garments into new patchworks and structures, I discovered a quiet but powerful form of expression.
In this ongoing creative journey, design has become a way for me to navigate personal memory, cultural tension, and the urgency of sustainability. Every design decision becomes part of a larger conversation—not a declaration, but a gesture: a tribute to memory, a voice for survival, and a step toward becoming whole.

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