JP Universe

Econ MAJOR (2025)

This fashion exhibit is a reflection on what I learned during my economics degree and how my art practice has developed during my time at Tufts. At the beginning of my last semester, I combed through all of my economics notes, highlighting the concepts that really changed the way I thought about the world. Designing this collection is a tool to remember what I learned in order to apply my education beyond academia, especially as I move back to the city defined by fashion and finance.

Look 1
This look is inspired by Urban Economics. The ‘billboard’ pants and ‘glass buildings’ blazer simulate the experience of driving into the city from the suburbs, and the tradeoff of commuting. I painted parodies of billboards I saw during my commute, typical of the American highway.
Look 2
In economics, there are 4 types of goods: Public, Private, Club, and Common. This look translates the concept of club good— an entity that is excludable— into a fashion look, consisting of a velvet rope belt and ‘club good’ graphic tee. The stock ticker jewelry engages with the idea of investment pieces and wearing our wealth.
Look 3
This look reflects the relationship between pop culture and the economy. This look is inspired by the housing bubble of 2008: mortgage bonds were revealed to be toxic assets, which destroyed credit. Currently, we are seeing society identify “recession indicators” and “recession core”, especially on social media. The wordplay in this piece- putting a term describing mortgage bonds on the back of y2k-inspired track pants- explores what happens when terms become colloquial.

The Apartment Collection (2024)

The “Apartment” is a New York Fantasy, a reflection of the ever- evolving city manifested in my imagination. The "Souvenir" photoshoot showcases the collection in the environment that initially inspired it. The print encapsulates my personal experience living here, while landmarks in the city, such as the souvenir shops selling ‘I heart NY’ t-shirts and neon signs lighting up unmistakable architecture, contribute to the city's persona.

"IN MAGNA CIVITAS MAGNA SOLITUDO" COAT
(Leather, Fur, Acrylic Paint)
Translating to "in the greatest cities is the greatest loneliness", the coat represents a NYC apartment building. The vignette painted in each diamond-shaped "window" explores the phenomenon of isolated togetherness that is apartment living.
PRESERVING THE APARTMENT
24 paintings were made for the "Apartment Print", an hommage to the "In Magna Civitas, Magna Solitudo coat" and the ever-changing NYC. As the one-of-one coat fades with wear, the paintings and subsequent print ensure Jane Priester's NYC fantasy building lives on.

Scents and Sense (2023)

The backdrops are a reflection of smelling Serge Lutens perfumes; the jackets are conjured up in response to verbally hearing the stories of the scents. The objective of the project is to not only highlight the power of smell in tapping into memories, and is also an experiment on how my mind reacts to different portrayals of the same subject.

Photography by Donna DeMari

"Nuit de Cellophane" inspired Jacket (cashmere, tulle, silk, suede)

I have two Serge Lutens perfumes, but never wear them: Until now, I have confined them to their bottles, which I like to think of as little vessels holding worlds of their own.
The perfume "Nuit de Cellophane" (night of cellophane) illustrates the momentary capture that takes place when precious and ephemeral objects (specifically, bouquets of roses and haute couture dresses) are encapsulated by sheets of plastic.
There is a heaviness about the darkly romantic aura of the Serge Lutens Paris flagship that made me want to cry, in the same way a beautiful piece of music would. The "Nuit de Cellophane" inspired jacket incorporates elements of the architecture.

"Dent de Lait" inspired Jacket (wool, synthetics, cashmere, goose down)

The perfume "Dent de Lait" (teeth of milk), alludes to the feeling of losing one's first tooth as a symbolic milestone of beginning to lose one's innocence.
As a child, I was deeply upset by the transactional exchange with the tooth fairy of money for a part of my body; I wanted a more personal gift. My mom placed handmade wooden boxes under my pillow instead, one with a turtle on it and one with a ladybug.
When I smell these two specifically, I see colors, I hear noises, and I feel sensations: one sense has the ability to trigger all five.

Supersonic World (2022)

“Supersonic World” tells the story of how the Concorde jet revolutionized both celebrity culture and air travel, Each look combines the roles of passengers, pilots, and crew into one character. Juxtaposing cold, sharp materials with delicate materials highlights both the power that comes from engineering, globalization, and pop culture, and the fragility of a society failing to limit itself.

Concorde transported its elite passengers across the Atlantic in less than 3 hours, for the cost of $10,000 a ticket and 100 tons of jet fuel.
Princess Diana sat in 1A and the Queen’s mother sat in the jump seat. Victoria’s secret once chartered an entire Concorde to take the models to the fashion show. Concorde became a phenomenon when a dress that had cost $8 to make was flown last minute via Concorde for a photoshoot.

Econ MAJOR (2025)

Look 1

This look is inspired by Urban Economics. The ‘billboard’ pants and ‘glass buildings’ blazer simulate the experience of driving into the city from the suburbs, and the tradeoff of commuting. I painted parodies of billboards I saw during my commute, typical of the American highway.

Look 2

Look 3

The Apartment Collection (2024)

"IN MAGNA CIVITAS MAGNA SOLITUDO" COAT

PRESERVING THE APARTMENT

Scents and Sense (2023)

"Nuit de Cellophane" inspired Jacket (cashmere, tulle, silk, suede)

I have two Serge Lutens perfumes, but never wear them: Until now, I have confined them to their bottles, which I like to think of as little vessels holding worlds of their own.

The perfume "Nuit de Cellophane" (night of cellophane) illustrates the momentary capture that takes place when precious and ephemeral objects (specifically, bouquets of roses and haute couture dresses) are encapsulated by sheets of plastic.

There is a heaviness about the darkly romantic aura of the Serge Lutens Paris flagship that made me want to cry, in the same way a beautiful piece of music would. The "Nuit de Cellophane" inspired jacket incorporates elements of the architecture.

"Dent de Lait" inspired Jacket (wool, synthetics, cashmere, goose down)

The perfume "Dent de Lait" (teeth of milk), alludes to the feeling of losing one's first tooth as a symbolic milestone of beginning to lose one's innocence.

As a child, I was deeply upset by the transactional exchange with the tooth fairy of money for a part of my body; I wanted a more personal gift. My mom placed handmade wooden boxes under my pillow instead, one with a turtle on it and one with a ladybug.

When I smell these two specifically, I see colors, I hear noises, and I feel sensations: one sense has the ability to trigger all five.

Supersonic World (2022)

Concorde transported its elite passengers across the Atlantic in less than 3 hours, for the cost of $10,000 a ticket and 100 tons of jet fuel.

Princess Diana sat in 1A and the Queen’s mother sat in the jump seat. Victoria’s secret once chartered an entire Concorde to take the models to the fashion show. Concorde became a phenomenon when a dress that had cost $8 to make was flown last minute via Concorde for a photoshoot.