Yurong Zhao

This story begins with my cat, Chubby—and the slow onset of an allergy I couldn’t ignore: red eyes, a runny nose, rashes like bruised petals blooming across my skin. A breath that tightens without warning. It started as something physical. It became something else—a quiet question:

Why do we stay where we hurt, just to be near what we love?

Though rooted in the human–pet relationship, this story unfolds into a broader reflection on emotional bonds—those connections that ache, yet endure. In the tension between closeness and resistance, love and longing, I find a quiet narrative of vulnerability. Through form, texture, and restraint, I aim to create fashion and art that speak to anyone who has ever held onto something that both healed and harmed—where love lingers, and ache breathes.