AM I STILL THAT YOUNG?
LIFESTYLE BRAND
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About the Project-
"Am I Still That Young?" merges childlike creativity with professional design to develop a lifestyle brand. Inspired by Jean Piaget’s theories, the project redefines innovation through unfiltered imagination and collaboration with a child, rediscovering the joy, curiosity, and spontaneity that fuel authentic creative expression while challenging industry norms.
Project 01/07
THE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Every creative project needs a solid foundation, and for “Am I Still That Young?”, that foundation lies in understanding how creativity works—particularly the kind of creativity that thrives in childhood. To guide my approach, I turned to theories that explore the differences between childlike and adult thinking, the dynamics of collaboration, and the role of spontaneity in innovation.
Children see endless possibilities where adults might see one. Torrance (1974) describes this as divergent thinking, driven by curiosity and play—qualities that fade with age and societal pressures. Piaget (1952) highlights children as natural experimenters, learning through play, while Vygotsky (1978) emphasizes the importance of guided collaboration in achieving potential. These theories inspired my approach: allowing a child collaborator to freely explore and customize designs, with my role focused on guiding and refining their ideas. By balancing spontaneity with structure, I transformed their creativity into professional pieces, blending childlike imagination with design expertise for the final product.
Over two months, I had the privilege of interviewing six children to collaboratively develop a series of patches for the final designs. Each patch became a reflection of their individuality—infused with their favorite colors, meaningful phrases, and moments from their lives that held significance. These sessions were more than just creative exercises; they were opportunities to understand how children see the world and express themselves when given the freedom to do so.
The first step was designing the blank canvases. I started with sketches of jackets, trousers, and accessories, keeping the shapes simple and clean. The color palette—mostly whites and pastels—was chosen to give the pieces an unfinished feel, almost like a fresh sheet of paper waiting to be filled. Each piece was made with the intention that it would eventually transform into something vibrant and unexpected.
This part of the process was exciting, but also a little daunting. Designing something “unfinished” felt risky, especially in an industry that’s all about perfection. But I knew the blanks had to stay true to the concept: they weren’t just clothes; they were starting points for something bigger. When I first sketched the design I had colors in mind but then I decided to do the above and only have colors on the prints.
Debut
The final showcase is a runway event at Night tales, Hackney, London, featuring a curated exhibition during the day, the designer’s runways during the evening, followed by live music performances of various DJs and musicians during the night. The immersive runway combines music, lighting to elevate the pieces and provide an unforgettable experience. The runway emphasizes the unity of diverse aesthetics, offering a vibrant platform for the designers to gain visibility and connect with the broader fashion community. The event gathered 500 visitors from all around the world.