Spring semester 2024 I explored my Hmong heritage, culture, and childhood through cloth and thread. For my Design 519: Collection Development course we developed a brand, created a collection of five looks, and made one look from our collection. The brand I created was called "Tender Threads" which would combine both a bespoke Hmong traditional wear and higher-end, more RTW Hmong-inspired special occasion wear. The illustrations feature the first collection line from Tender Threads.

I chose to research, develop, and make the Hmong jacket from one of the looks in my collection. This jacket is very special to me as I took a trip to St. Paul, Minnesota with my parents to source the fabric, embroidery, and trims. The process of making this jacket also explored the sewing techniques to create a traditional Hmong jacket seen in our traditional wear.