EMBRACING YOU
Designed for comfort and care. A brand built to empower those with breast cancer, and to offer comfort during treatment. The outfits designed do not mimic typical hospital clothing, but provide the same access to different body areas, while being comfortable and chic. Made to be worn during treatment and everyday.
A Project in Collaboration with Anisa Farah, Shaunacy Alongi, Lauren Tom and Indya Brooks.
Personal Contributions: Collaborative Ideation, Technical Drawing & Packaging Design.
Before designing and choosing articles to include, I went through a process of brand discovery and research. The direction I choose for this book was based off of Jake Burtons words, "Have as much fun as possible". I wanted the book to represent snowboarding this way, while also being informative about the sport.
Design inspiration came from Burton's old catalogues, for their bold colors and retro design. I knew I wanted this book to be playful and colorful from the start as well as using layout design to create a sense of movement.
Target Market & Design Goal
Image from: breastcancer.org
While designing these looks, some initial garment requirements came to mind. First, we
needed the fabric to be not only comfortable but also made from a sustainable fabric,
such as linen, hemp, or cotton. Secondly, they needed multiple openings for access
to the ports and the breast area, and they had to be easy to slide one on and off. With
incisions from surgery, lifting the arms to put on a t-shirt would be difficult and painful;
hence, we needed a garment that did not require this. Thirdly, our garments needed
accessible areas to hold drainage bags, which are not only hidden but also easy to
access. Our final consideration was that the designs not only not look like medical
garments, but also be usable after treatment.
Final Line Up
The hidden pocket, as shown in the detailed circle, can be reached internally and externally, holding tubes and drainage bags. Due to the lower part of the top being loose, the bag shape will easily be hidden
within the garment.
Look one is a short-sleeve tie top with visible and hidden pockets. The pants are long and flowing, with pockets and an adjustable waist band.
The sleeves are not super tight, allowing for a comfortable fit, with the tie at the waistband allowing for adjustability. An internal small tie holds the right side of the shirt up, allowing it to sit perfectly all day. These adjustments allow the wearer to decide how tight they would like to wear the top. For treatment, the top does not need to be taken off fully for examinations. This gives the wearer extra comfort during the process. The smaller external pockets allow for general storage.
Looking at the pants, the waistband is adjustable with a drawstring, meaning it can fit a larger range of sizes and can be adjusted. As some struggle with breast cancer and deal with bloating, the idea was to make pants that could fit them comfortably throughout the entire day.
The flowy, stylized pants and top pair well together, adding comfort to treatment visits, and do not give any indication that they are medical garments.
Look 1
A closer look at how the
side zips in the front
Look 2 consists of a long-sleeve top with detachable pieces and different openings. along with open slit pants.
The modular top has sleeves that are able to zip on and off, as well as a lower piece under the waistband. A plaque covers the zippers, making them hidden internally and externally. This was done internally as well for comfort and to prevent the zippers from rubbing against the skin. A diagonal zipper is placed for easy access for medical treatment to the breast area without the
participant having to remove their entire top. The side seams of the top are also unzipped. The bottom panel of the top has hidden pockets for drainage, similar to look 1. A wide neck look allows for a stylized, casual look.
The pants’ snap closures go all the way down to the knee, while the area below is open. To ensure the pants do not come off at the waistband when sitting, buttons are used to ensure it is secure. The pant pocket on the front is accessible internally and externally, and a larger pocket can be seen on the back of the pants. The pockets stop halfway down when they appear to.
This enlarged detail shows how the top can unzip and how the fabric would fold over for access to the breast area.
Look 2
Look three consists of a button-down shawl and a pair of longer shorts.
This shawl is a workwear stylized piece ready to wear from the office to the hospital and vice versa. Length in the front reaches the waist, allowing for comfortability and modesty. With easy to do buttons, this piece is easy to take on and off and does not have to be taken off for treatment, as it can simply just be lifted up.
These pants have a hidden side seam zipper with front flaps that tie at the center waist. The large pockets in the back are similar in look and are attached to the body’s main fabric. The front flaps, which have similar shaping to the back pockets, open to reveal hidden pockets to hold drain fluids that can easily be accessed without having to take the garment off. There is some slight elasticity in the front waistband, giving the pants some adjustability throughout the day. The bottom of the pants has the same pattern as the top of the shawl.
Look 3
Hidden pockets for
drainage bags
Look four consists of a compression bra, a skirt, and a robe that sits on top. The skirt has a similar waistband. Adjustability is similar to look one, also accounts for bloating with it being
adjustable and makes it easy to take on and off.
The robe was made to maximize comfort during hospital visits, allowing participants to adjust warmth in a place that is typically
colder. Hidden pockets for drainage sit underneath the hip line on the robe. A tie waistband allows for adjustability and for
users to wear the robe open or closed.
Look 4
This compression bra is easy to put on through a hidden side zipper. Once placed around the body, it will not be super tight until the user closes the front pieces. Different pieces attach through Velcro and can be pulled tighter if needed or be left with a looser fit. This makes it easy for participants to control the amount of compression that they need. As there is no metal, this bra can be worn during scanning and also has removable padding to provide additional support. The straps are adjustable for a more comfortable fit for each user.
Packaging
For the packaging, Embracing You will use hemp paper and vegetable inks, continuing the sustainability in the brand's fabrics and garments to the packaging to ensure continuity.
The hang tags will be made of hemp paper, making them biodegradable and recyclable and requiring less water to produce, making them a more sustainable option compared to virgin wood used in traditional tags (Wilson).
Hemp paper will also create more durable packaging since the hemp fibers are 4-5 times longer than wood fibers, making stronger and more tear-resistant labels for our brand (Wilson). Additionally, the vegetable-based inks used in the packaging are derived from linseed, soy, and canola, offering reduced VOC emissions compared to traditional petroleum-based inks (TI Group). This ink also improves the recyclability of the tags, which can be easily de-inked (TI Group). This packaging will have slight irregularities and texture from the hemp paper, visually communicating the sustainable and environmentally-conscious part of our brand identity. On the hang tags, customers can also find key information regarding the garment's unique features, how to wear the garments, and how the garment can be adapted to fit their needs.
The packaging to ship our garments will also be completely compostable, which 72% of consumers tend to perceive as the most sustainable type of packaging (Feber). The vegetable inks are also compatible with the packaging's compostable nature. This way, customers who are searching for natural and sustainably-made garments can immediately recognize the sustainable efforts of Embracing You and feel connected to the brand's sustainable philosophy. Furthermore, research shows that approximately 2/3 customers view sustainable packaging as an important consideration when making a purchase, highlighting the importance packaging can play in consumer decisions (Feber).
