“Senior Thesis Spotlight” is an ongoing NSFP feature series showcasing interesting thesis projects being done by current seniors at The New School and discussing their process, inspirations and experiences.
“I’m the worst fashion major at Parsons,” said Lexy Ho-Tai, 22, a fashion design major at Parsons.
Wearing a colorful, geometrically patterned button down shirt on top of a long bright blue skirt, Ho-Tai pointed at her outfit and laughed. “There are so many parts of it [fashion] that I hate and don’t identify with,” she said, “but it’s a fun challenge working within the system that I don’t really agree with.”
Ho-Tai was sitting in a chair surrounded by multiple bags with an assortment of colored pom-poms, streamers and woven pieces gushing out, which when assembled together create the body of what she calls a “performative monster.”
For her senior thesis project, Ho-Tai is making series of “monsters” that she will set up around New York City, encouraging people passing by to engage and interact with the participatory art pieces.
To better construct an identity for these monsters, Ho-Tai has created a narrative for them.
“They come from KOOKERVILLE, the land where people’s inner child goes to when it has been lost,” she explained.
“They’ve landed in New York and they’re completely unaware of the social constructs we’ve created.”
Each of the monsters in her project will have their own themes and functions, but will all share a playful nature that she hopes will influence the public’s behavior.
While setting up one of her pieces on a mannequin, Ho-Tai demonstrated how a passerby would ideally interact with the monster. Pulling out one of the pom-pom like objects from the mannequin, she played around with the piece, wearing it on her head and swaying back and forth as she laughed at herself.
In addition, her monsters are all made out of recycled materials.
The idea to use recycled textiles emerged after her 7 month backpacking trip around Europe, which made her aware of the impact of waste and wasteful consumption. “When I got back to the city, I was disgusted with the amount of stuff I had,” she said. “I was trying to be conscientious of what I’m putting back in the world.” She also mentioned that working with recycled materials is good for her budget.
Ho-Tai’s move to New York for college inspired her to create something that would bring people together in an environment that she considers cold and disconnected.
“My thesis is essentially a response to the aspects of New York City that I hate,” she said.
Some of the aspects of New York that she dislikes include the lack of human connection and sense of community, the amount of waste and the fast-paced, aloof atmosphere.
“I wanted to create something joyful to bring people together,” she said. In order to bring out this joy, she has shaped her monsters to embody a childlike personality. Through color, arts and crafts materials and detachable pieces that resemble toys such as a pool noodle, Ho-Tai’s monsters encourage play and the same innocent fun that is associated with children.
Ho-Tai describes her monsters as “clothing of experience” as she gives the concept of clothing more depth by connecting it to personal experiences. “A big part of your life and personal identity are the experiences you collect,” she said.
She wants to create clothing with greater meaning by transforming them from something that is mindlessly consumed and bought into something that can be experienced.
Despite her exuberance and excitement for her project, she has her moments of doubt on how impactful her work will be. “I’m always second guessing if what I’m doing has any meaning or if I’m just creating more shit in a world that already has enough stuff,” she said.
Although uncertain of how far her project will reach people, Ho-Tai stays optimistic that her long, sleepless nights working on these monsters will be well worth it. “If I can make someone smile then that’s enough for me.”
To see more of Ho-Tai’s work, visit her website, LEXYMAKESTHINGS.com and Instagram, @lexymakesthings to see snippets of her thesis project.