Visual Offset

Garments for people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder — lines, colour and shape that pull the eye off-centre.

Year: 2023
Reading: 02 min
Figures: 14

00Brief

Visual Offset is a fashion project for people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). I used lines, colours and shapes to offset the visual balance of a garment and divert attention away from the centre of the body, so wearers can embrace fashion knowing the focus is not on their main body.

Spec sheet03 entries

Role: Designer
Disciplines: Inclusive Design
Fashion Design
Garment Design
3D Simulation
Tools: Technical flats / 3D garment simulation

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition where people spend much time worrying about their appearance. Visual Offset is my attempt to answer it with fashion.

I used lines, colours and shapes to offset the visual balance of each garment while diverting attention away from the centre of the body — so people with BDD can feel more confident embracing fashion, knowing the centre of focus is not on their main body.

01Sketches

Six ways to move the eye

Six initial designs tested different ways of pulling attention off the middle of the body: tube-like lines curving across a hoodie, asymmetric straps, dripping shapes, slashes and scribbled numerals, rope-like cords and a laced back.

Fig. 0101 — Curving lines

Fig. 0202 — Asymmetric straps

Fig. 0303 — Dripping shapes

Fig. 0404 — Slashes and numerals

Fig. 0505 — Rope-like cords

Fig. 0606 — Laced back

Everyone should have the ability to enjoy fashion.”

02Final designs

Three garments

Three designs went forward: a cream hoodie with a hot-pink yoke and off-centre piping, an asymmetric grey cape-hoodie wrapped in orange cords, and a charcoal hoodie split by a diagonal neon-green zip. Two of them were taken into 3D garment simulation.