Myrna Lily Sisson

Myrna Lily Sisson

Fashion Product
Image: The model Cyrene is elegantly posed with her hands on her hips, facing away to show her nude back. She is adorned with the shiny Reine D’Or gold chest piece, sculpted to appear like liquid honey dripping over her left shoulder from the neck down the center of her back. On her right hand Cyrene wears the Orlien gold-link bracelet and the Petit Miel honey drip ring. She is styled with a subtle gold body shimmer, a black velvet skirt, bejeweled nails, and a long sleek braid.
Image: Cyrene wears the Reine D’Or Chest Piece and Orlien Bracelet. With closed eyes, she leans her head back. Her right hand caresses her right shoulder, as the chest piece mimics dripping honey down the left side and center of her torso.
Image: Two close-up product shots of the Reine D’Or Chest Piece, showing the braille poem and gemstone. This piece is 3D Printed and Gold Mirror-Coated PLA, with an 8ct Pear Shaped Citrine Gemstone.
Image: The braille poem on the Reine D’Or Chest Piece reads as "Sweet As Honey, Royal Like The Bee, Dripping In Gold, Desired Is She".
Image: The model Golda gazes over the gold Miel Liquide Glasses, looking straight forward. Inspired by the shape of bee eyes, the lenses are encased in a liquid-gold frame that drips back behind the ears. Her arms are lightly crossed over her chest, each hand resting on the opposite shoulder, displaying the gold L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring, Petit Miel Honey Drip Ring, Orlien Bracelet, and Écoulement Back Drip Necklace.
Image: The Miel Liquide Glasses rest on a black velvet display box. These brass glasses are finished with gold mirror-coated sunglass lenses, reflecting a NYC cityscape.
Image: Two close-up product shots of the Miel Liquide Glasses respectively show a carved bee on the upper right of the glasses frame, and the braille poem "Bee-Hold" on the left temple.
Image: Golda poses turned away, displaying the Écoulement Back Drip Necklace adorning her nude back. Wearing the Miel Liquide Glasses, Golda peaks over her right shoulder, her chin softly raised.
Image: Golda is posed gazing at the sky through the gold Miel Liquide Glasses. She touches her chin with her left hand, on which she is wearing the L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring. Golda's right hand rests on her left wrist, showing the side of the Petit Miel Honey Drip Ring.
Image: A close-up of a hand shows the matching set of the Petit Miel Honey Drip Ring and Orlien Bracelet. The Orlien Bracelet is made of brass links that together form drips appearing to drip off the wrist.
Image: The Orlien Bracelet is displayed vertically on a black velvet box. The links "drip" down from the top of the box into the table surface, showing the gold linking system of the bracelet.
Image: A close-up of the Éclat Splash Ring and L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring showcases a hand reading the braille on the bands of each ring. The Éclat Splash Ring reads as "Éclat", meaning "brillant dispaly", and the L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring reads as "desire".
Image: Shown is a product shot from above of the Petit Miel Honey Drip Ring, Éclat Splash Ring, and L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring. Each is displayed in a black velvet ring box.
Image: A close-up of a hand shows the brass L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring. This hand carved honey bee has carved fur textures on the abdomen, patterns on the wings, two antennae. The center of the bee's thorax is set with a 2ct Citrine Gemstone.
Image: A close-up of a hand shows the Éclat Splash Ring from above with the lid closed.
Image: The Éclat Splash Ring is displayed in a black velvet ring box. This brass ring has a hinged compartment that opens to reveal a 2ct Amethyst Gemstone in the center of the ring.
Image: The model Colette poses facing forward, with her hands gently across her chest. The Doré Mystére Necklace embellishes her sternum. Made up of two large pieces with four hanging brass drips, this necklace is linked together to flow down the top of her breast. On Colette's right hand she wears the Éclat Splash Ring, while the L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring adorns her left hand.
Image: Flowing along the right side of the Doré Mystére Necklace, and onto the first two drips is a braille poem reading as "Elegance And Power Align; Refined; Divine".
Image: Colette faces forward, her hands covering her chest, showcasing the Éclat Splash Ring, with its lid open, the Doré Mystére Necklace, and the L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring. She is styled with a subtle gold body shimmer and bejeweled nails.
Image: Shown is a product shot of the Doré Mystére Necklace, with it's compartment lid closed, displayed on a black velvet necklace bust.
Image: A close-up of the brass Doré Mystére Necklace on the black velvet display bust shows the compartment lid open to reveal a dark purple French velvet interior.
Image: A close-up of models Golda and Cyrene embracing. Golda peaks over her right shoulder, showing her nude back adorned with the Ècoulement back drip necklace. A braille poem embelishes the sculpted gold piece that flows down her back, reading as “golden flow empowers bearer in regal glow”. Cyrene’s arm wraps around Golda from behind, showcasing the Réticule Nouveau Clutch. Made from lacquered purpleheart wood, this clutch is ornamented with a golden handle that drips around the fingers.
Image: A product shot of the front of the honeycomb-shaped Réticule Nouveau Clutch shows the woodgrain detail and glossy shine of the lacquered purpleheart wood. The wood is complemented by a shiny brass handle that drips down the face of the clutch into the feet. Two brass hinges can be seen on the side of the clutch, alluding to it's dark purple French velvet interior.
Image: A product shot of the back of the Réticule Nouveau Clutch shows a continuation of the golden handle dripping down the back face into the feet of the clutch.
Image: Golda leans exaggeratingly to the right, showing the Écoulement Back Drip Necklace flowing down her nude back. A subtle gold body shimmer catches the light on her skin.
Image: Golda and Colette embrace, Colette facing forward, while Golda faces backwards to showcase the full length of the golden Écoulement Back Drip Necklace. Golda's left arm arches above her head, as her right arm extends across Colette's chest while holding the Miel Liquide Glasses. Colette rests her hands on Golda's right arm and shoulder, displaying the Éclat Splash Ring and L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring. The Doré Mystére Necklace peaks out from behind Golda's arm, as Colette gazes off into the distance. Golda is styled with a gold skirt, while Colette is styled with a black skirt. Both models are styled with gold eye-make-up and a subtle gold body shimmer.
Image: The Écoulement Back Drip Necklace is a brass piece sculpted to flow over the right shoulder blade and down the entirety of the center back. Made up of 5 linked pieces that decrease in size down to a drop, each piece exhibits a part of the braille poem reading from top to bottom as "Golden Flow Empowers Bearer In Regal Glow".
Image: Real liquid honey is poured onto Golda's back as she is adorned with the Écoulement Back Drip Necklace. The honey flows from her shoulders down her back, dripping over the brass piece. The subtle gold body shimmer is highlighted by the honey, shimmering from underneath the flowing liquid.
Image: All three models Golda, Cyrene, and Colette embrace. Golda leans into Cyrene, as Cyrene effortlessly rests her left hand on Colette's left shoulder. Together the three models powerfully and elegantly pose exhibiting the complete collection: L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring, Doré Mystére Necklace, Éclat Splash Ring, Reine D’Or Chest Piece, Petit Miel Honey Drip Ring, Miel Liquide Glasses, Écoulement Back Drip Necklace, Orlien Bracelet, and the Réticule Nouveau Clutch.
Image: Clasp of Napoleon Bonaparte’s cloak bearing Napoleon’s bee heraldry. Copyright Leven’s Hall. Age of Revolution.org, from 200 objects of Waterloo. https:// ageofrevolution.org/200-object/clasp-from-napoleons-cloak

UNE TOUCHE D'OR - A TOUCH OF GOLD

Myrna Lily Sisson’s thesis explores intersections of luxury, desire, accessibility, and inclusivity in fashion by integrating braille poetry into a luxurious hand-sculpted jewelry collection. During her time at Parsons, Myrna Lily Sisson acknowledged how her personal idiosyncrasies and experiences with acute visual impairments inform her design process. While some visual impairments are corrected by prescriptive lenses, not all are. This led to a deep dive of tactility in design, through which Sisson developed a case study about integrating braille labeling into fashion products, winning a Fashion Scholarship Fund award. Sisson has continued to build a disability consciousness, with her thesis collection aiming to make accessibility and inclusivity desirable by integrating braille poetry into luxury fashion products, creating engaging aesthetic and tactile sensory experiences. 

Sisson looked to history and her family heritage for inspiration. A descendant of the French Baron Agathon Fain, Napoleon Bonaparte’s primary historian and First Secretary of the Emperor’s Cabinet, Sisson grew up hearing multi-generational family stories of his contribution to historical records. This inspired research of 19th century France, Napoleon, and luxury products such as trunk making. As the emperor of France, Napoleon chose the symbol of the honey bee to represent him and his family. The bee symbolizes long life and hard work, demonstrating his belief in the legitimacy and perceived longevity of his reign. The inspiration of Napoleon’s honey bee led to exploring perceptions of luxury, power, display and desire. This manifested itself into a dripping gold motif, honoring the bee, and serving as a visual and conceptual anchor in this collection where Sisson’s hand sculpted jewelry pieces interpret dripping honey and molten gold frozen in motion. On a personal note, to Sisson the bee is a symbol of dedication, ambition, and legitimacy within the Parsons School of Fashion BFA program. 

Further exploring perceptions of luxury led to the intersection of displays of value in fashion as they relate to perceptions of value in accessibility. Sisson noticed a dichotomy between traditional definitions of luxury being all too frequently synonymous with exclusivity, while accessible is synonymous with inclusivity. Sisson challenges this juxtaposition by integrating braille poetry into luxury products. Integrating braille as an aesthetic and communicative tool into products adds an extra level of engagement and sensory experience. Clientele are not just wearing the product, they are interacting with it, touching and feeling it, embodying it. The point is to empower the wearer and better facilitate independent enjoyment of curating a fashioned body regardless of where on the vision spectrum one is. Sisson believes therein lies the philosophy of performative function. This is at the core of Sisson’s jewelry collection, where her luxury fashion products serve as both an ostentatious display and empowers the wearer through tactile engagement.

Luxury and accessibility do not coexist in a vacuum, Sisson believes the aspirational value of luxury is not compromised when thoughtfully designed to expand access. Making products more broadly engaging facilitates a deeper enjoyment in luxury fashion. Additionally, making accessibility opulent and desirable enhances the overall elegance of a given product. The enhanced inclusivity renders these products prosocial from any rational point of view, as a clear outcome of such is demarginalization and advocacy for braille literacy. This thesis serves as an example of how companies and designers can aesthetically integrate accessible elements (braille labels, image descriptions, tactile sketches, etc.) to enhance return on investment by broadening the market, creating more awareness, and positive business good will.

At the heart of this collection is the performative function philosophy, embodied by these pieces as ornate displays that foster dialogue around disability and design. The collection Une Touche D'Or, A touch of Gold represents a luxuriously accessible jewelry collection aiming to aesthetically dazzle while empowering wearers of all visual abilities to feel beautiful, desirable, powerful, and elegant.
Image: Sisson's Moodboard.
Image: Sisson's Initial Thumbnail Sketches.
Image: Sisson's Hand Sketches During Early Development.

PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT

All pieces are handsculpted, interpeting the flow of molten gold and dripping of liquid honey.
Image: Using dripping honey to inform shape iteration while sculpting in paper, clay, and worbla.
Image: 3D scanning the hand sculpted chest piece prototype, then 3D modeling, 3D printing, Gold Mirror-Coated.
Image: Cutting, shaping, and lacquering the purpleheart wood for the clutch.
Image: Silicone molds of the hand sculpted prototypes, wax injections, and wax carving.
Image: Brass casting, soldering, polishing, and gemstone setting.
Image: Doré Mystére Necklace Techpack Overview
Image: Doré Mystére Necklace Techpack Overview
Image: Doré Mystére Necklace Techpack Overview
Image: Doré Mystére Necklace Techpack Overview
Image: Doré Mystére Necklace Techpack Overview
Image: L'Abeille Honey Bee Ring Techpack Overview
Video: A 1:45 minute editorial video of all three models, Cyrene, Golda, and Colette. The video is a compilation of clips taken during the editorial photoshoot, and showcases the complete collection. Taken on an older video camera, the footage has a dreamy retro quality.
Image: An intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse of designer Myrna Lily Sisson styling model Golda's hair while she poses with the Miel Liquide Glasses.


Credits:

Designer
Myrna Lily Sisson

Director
Myrna Lily Sisson

Models In Order Of Appearance
Cyrene Renee
Golda Sisson
Colette Dollon

Photographer
Naira Gishian 
Myrna Lily Sisson

Cinematographer
Naira Gishian 

Composer
Allan Sisson

Makeup Artist
Anastasiia Karavaeva

Team
Christa Niver
Wyatt Nguyen


Special Thank You 

To the Sisson family for unwavering love and support; To Allan Sisson for brilliant musical composition; To Candice Sisson for infinite encouragement through many long nights; To Robert Sisson for nurturing manual dexterity prowess; To my Momi, for teaching me to sew; To Golda, chaim sheli, my muse; 

To Stone Hubbard and Miguel Villalobos for their invaluable guidance; 

And to the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design.

Bio

Parsons graduate Myrna Lily Sisson is a New York–based designer specializing in fashion products and accessories. With a background in runway and film production, she has a passion for performative function and a dedication to craft. While at Parsons, she served as the Student Community Leader for the Fashion Product Pathway, fostering a deep commitment to collaboration and community. As an Oklahoma-born designer with acute visual impairments and a Fashion Scholarship Fund alumna, Sisson’s design philosophy centers accessibility and community as integral to luxury fashion’s evolving future. She has contributed to Parsons-led collaborations with Keds and Tory Burch, and has design experience with Kohl’s, and Rag & Bone. After graduation, Myrna Lily Sisson will continue her journey as a design apprentice with Coach Special Projects.

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