Untamed Office
HeeJu Song
This collection explores the beauty of imperfection through the contrasting worlds of San from Princess Mononoke, the Japanese anime and a drunken, exhausted salaryman. San, caught between nature and humanity, doesn’t fully belong anywhere. Likewise, the salaryman reveals the hidden fragility of urban life. I imagined San working in the city and returning to the forest — a journey expressed through garments. Silhouettes draw from dishevelled salaryman details like inverted pockets and crushed draping. Textiles reflect Mononoke's world: San’s mask becomes geometric red prints and laser-cut layers; forest organisms are abstracted into commercial prints on sequins and fabrics. Some designs blend subway tube textures with animation motifs and print several layers to put them together in one. Tailored materials mix with faux fur to reference San’s iconic skirt, with midi lengths shaping the looks. To visualise the shift from city to nature, garments contrast front and back: the front features more fur and sequins, while the back leans into structured officewear. The result is playful, raw, and spiritually grounded.
HeeJu is a London-based fashion design student at the University of Westminster, she specialises in Womenswear, with a key interest in draping and exploring new silhouette. Her work celebrates technically refined craftsmanship and emotionally resonant design, with a focus on creating garments that are both wearable and conceptually engaging. She specialises in playful, unconventional silhouettes inspired by vintage films and animations, reinterpreting their visual storytelling through a modern lens.
