Can I Scream?!
Ariana Felicity Tan
See it On Campus: Level 2
Ariana Tan
Grad Show 2025
Can I Scream?!
a step closer to understanding myself
Emotions
Anger?
Anxiety?
Fatigue?
Components
What elements did I put in the pouches?
Kinetic Sand
was something I often used growing up as a way to express myself.
Its unique quality—how the particles stick together—made it a great tool for human interaction.
However, I noticed that the sand became firmer when the particles were packed too tightly, limiting airflow. To solve this, I mixed in plastic pellets, which helped create space between the particles and allowed more air to move through the sand.
Story
Are emotions valid?
Emotions are hard to express…
sadness becomes laughter
anger becomes silence
anxiety becomes anger
The way I handle my emotions is by hiding them, but sometimes that is not the right answer.
Keeping everything inside makes me seem cold to others. I have grown used to silencing my emotions.
Having my vulnerable side show was a tough one. Allowing myself to voice my emotions through words instead of burying them was a big step.
The process of making clothes helped silence the noise in my head and allowed me to voice out what I wanted to say and what was upsetting me.
The act of making was the first step towards acknowledging that the negative emotions I am feeling are real.
Our emotions exist…..
Trusting the Process…
Sketching on top of a silhouette that I made.
Started Making
Trusting my Instinct
Letting rocks weigh you down…. (Literally)
My initial idea was to create tension on the shoulders to help stretch the muscles, but after user testing, I realized it caused more pain than relief.
Hidden Pockets
I prefer hiding my emotions as it gets uncomfortable for me to explain myself, so I wanted to try to embody that characteristic in the garment.
Gloves
An accessory with plastic pellets that sit on the palm, encouraging interaction with the user by providing a tactile experience that invites touch and engagement.
It’s too short…
People find confidence in the clothes they wear, so I decided to explore the limits of comfort when clothes become too short and uncomfortable.
How to make pockets Unique
I sewed pockets onto a pair of repurposed jeans that I turned into a vest, leaving the pocket’s construction exposed. I found it interesting how experimenting with unique pocket shapes added more character to the garment.
Contrasting Colours
A contrast in color draws attention to the clothes themselves, rather than the function they might serve. From my experience, when I’m struggling, I don’t want it to be obvious. So, incorporating an element that distracts the viewer can help in the healing process for the person wearing the clothing.
Seam Finishing
I was deciding whether to hide the stitch lines or take advantage of them to give the clothing extra character.
Finalizing My Accessories
I chose to proceed with just three accessories: gloves, a torso brace, and a vest.
Gloves
For the construction of the gloves, adding a slit on the side allows for greater movement. Having multiple parts in the glove also lets the fabric drape more naturally when clenching the fist, which is crucial for promoting comfort.
Brace
For the construction of the brace, I initially tried a design that adjusts when pulled over the shoulder. However, instead of being easy to use, it added more tension to the shoulder. That’s why I switched to a more conventional brace that wraps around the body rather than over it.
When designing the brace, I focused on mobility. I discovered that without space for the pouch to move, it became too stiff, like a rock. To fix this, I added gaps to reduce the tension in the kinetic sand pouches.
Vest
I incorporated the kinetic sand pouches into the vest. The bright red colour of the pouches made them appear more as an accent piece rather than an accessory meant to help with emotions. I also added buttons in three areas of the vest, allowing the user to interact with the pouches anywhere on the garment without it being too obvious.
