Theodore Fu

Supersuits

My capstone thesis project is called Supersuits which is an exploration of the intersectional relationship between fashion and tech with my authentic design flare. The direction of this project is creating a bodysuit with the intent of trying to gear it towards rehabilitation focusing specifically on the lower waist region through a belt that is safely fitted with sensors and peltier modules. These suits are constructed with special HD screen printed textured fabric, 3D-printed components, and tech to give it that modernized superhero feel. With the suits I felt very compelled to really speak my true self, and very fortunately my prof Tanya White was super supportive and pushed me to do what I wanted to do.

Initial conceptual sketches of the Supersuit designs. Some of the very first things that arose from these were really doing what i've always wanted to make, which are very much in the vein of modernized superhero aesthetic and trying to find a way and integrate it to a more marketable way, so that was merging the idea of costumes and athletic wear.

A zoomed out view of my mind map/explorations for this project going from influences, fabrics, muscles, current health issues/obstacles, etc. I really tried to get as expansive as I could in this early phase, trying to dip my feet in a plethora of areas that might be interesting for my project to tackle.

Promotional Banner Piece w/ Digital Mockup of Red Supersuit

Promotional Banner Piece w/ Digital Mockup of Blue-Grey Supersuit

With the goal of trying to integrate tech into this suit, the objective is to try and answer a design challenge. This is an exploration of how the belt and its functionalities could possibly work. The key component that I am interested in studying is the Peltier module as the feature of it heating up and cooling down caught my attention as something that could potentially be innovative. The idea is having therapy pads that would attach to the region of the lower waist/ back region and be utilized for acute pains (heat therapy) and muscle pain (cold therapy).

Closing Statement

I think the connective tissue with me and my affection with fashion is the aspect of creativity and the notion of being able to experiment different shapes, fabrics, silhouettes, themes, etc. I felt that throughout 1st-3rd year it was all about learning all the foundational skills, learning how to draft properly, you must incorporate this and that, and although there was certainly a good amount of freedom to most of the projects, my design identity was still restrained. So when it came to this final year and being able to do literally anything I wanted, this was the opportunity to really let my authentic design roar. I’ve definitely seen improvement in my knowledge and skills, and know that fourth year was a pivotal point in which that I am better suited to tackle certain design challenges when met with one.