-- Designer Shuoyi Chen, known professionally as Anastasia Elektra, presented her Chicago Architecture Collection at Chicago Fashion Week, translating the city's iconic buildings into wearable menswear through chemically treated paper substrates and origami-inspired folding techniques.
The collection features garments modeled after Chicago landmarks, including coats that mimic the Willis Tower's vertical thrust, trousers that echo Marina City's rhythmic setbacks, and jackets that capture the geometric elegance of the Chicago Tribune Tower. Each piece required proprietary chemical treatments to render high-performance paper substrates both water-resistant and flexible, while maintaining their structural integrity.
"I don't sew structure into the cloth — I fold it out," said Chen, a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. "Each piece behaves less like fabric and more like architecture."
The runway presentation demonstrated how architectural principles could inform actual garment construction rather than serving as mere aesthetic inspiration. Models moved across the stage in pieces that functioned as kinetic sculptures, their movements revealing the mathematical precision embedded in each fold and angle.
Chen's process combines material science with zero-waste construction methods. Her studio at SAIC houses both test tubes and sewing machines, reflecting her interdisciplinary method. Early skepticism about paper's durability dissolved when she demonstrated how treated samples could bend, flex, and retain geometry even when exposed to water.
"Traditional menswear demands conformity," Chen explained. "My work offers men permission to inhabit form differently — to express complexity rather than suppress it."
The collection has attracted attention from organizers of Miami Fashion Week and Los Angeles Fashion Week, signaling industry recognition of her material engineering approach. Collectors have begun acquiring pieces from her Architectural Paper Collection as sculptural objects, while her Architectural T-Shirt Collection provides accessible entry points to her design philosophy.
Chen plans to present future collections in Berlin and Copenhagen as she continues developing her engineering-based approach to menswear construction.
About Anastasia Elektra
Anastasia Elektra is a menswear label founded by designer Shuoyi Chen, specializing in garments constructed from chemically treated paper through origami-inspired geometric folding. Based in Chicago, the brand merges material science with architectural principles to create zero-waste, sculptural menswear that challenges conventional tailoring methods.
Contact Info:
Name: Anastasia Elektra
Email: Send Email
Organization: Anastasia Elektra
Website: http://anastasiaelektra.com
Release ID: 89174337
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