Ties That Bind

"Rohan at the Louvre" is a Japanese graphic novel following Rohan Kishibe, an artist with the ability to read people's lives by opening “books” on their bodies, as he investigates a cursed painting linked to his past. Rohan’s ancestor painted the painting with ink obtained by illegally cutting down an ancient tree owned by the Emperor. He was executed for this crime and his painting was cursed by his anger, killing anyone who saw it. Years later, Rohan locates the painting in the Louvre’s basement but accidentally activates the curse, forcing him to use his abilities to destroy the painting for good.

My outfit is inspired by Rohan's book-reading ability, the actual graphic novel’s cover, and the theme of being tied to the past. My outfit’s monochrome color scheme symbolizes the graphic novel’s black-and-white art. The pages on the corset front represent a person’s story opening up, and the black “back cover” represents the forbidden ink and the secrets some keep within their life stories. The living tree on the cover represents a "growing" story, while the cut tree with sprouting buds represents the tree that was cut down and the idea that threads in our stories may end, but our story as a whole continues. I made the blouse and pants from tulle and pleather, two highly contrasting fabrics, to represent the past, future, and unpredictability of life. Overall, the ensemble symbolizes Rohan’s determination to write a new future instead of dwelling on the dark past his ancestor created.