Q+A with KT Nguyen
Parsons BFA 2026
Joy as Resistance
In Next Gen / No Kill, we spotlight standout fashion graduates whose work opens up new conversations and possibilities. From New York’s top programs and beyond, these are the designers shaping a future of fashion defined by intelligence, creativity, and intention
What is the inspiration or concept behind your collection?
The whole collection is upcycled and sustainably sourced. You could point to any part of any of the garments and I would be able to tell you the exact source and original form the material took. The white button up is made from my professor’s husband’s old dress shirts, all of the inner structure of look 1 comes from 2 thrifted suit jackets, and all of the pin striped fabric came from a pair of fast fashion pants scavenged from Facebook Marketplace. The faux fur materiality comes from a mix of post consumer fluffy bedding and discarded garments, and of course thrifted teddy bears.
All of the garments are designed with material usage in mind, and are all made from several smaller pieces patchworked together, utilizing scraps and bits of fabric from multiple sources. I had to get creative with material, since I needed a lot of material that I didn’t necessarily have. I made the ultimate decision to sacrifice half of my personal fluffy blanket for the greater good. The lining, interfacing, buttons, zippers, even thread are sourced ethically and sustainably, from a variety of sources including the fabric recycling center, other post consumer garments, flea markets, and oftentimes the trash.
Joy as Resistance isn’t just a collection, it’s a system made to deal with the harmful effects of the fashion industry that is ultimately our own doing. Today, using retail therapy is commonplace, and as a result, we buy far more than we need or use just to make ourselves feel adequate. My goal is to help people avoid overconsuming by making its denial fulfilling and fun. Upcycling workshops, educational popup books, and the overall aesthetics of my collection are ways that help people to begin taking action both separately and together to empower ourselves and each other to change the way we view and interact with fashion.
My collection draws on childhood themes that reconnect people with the playfulness and wonder they once had, which opens them up to receive both education and connection. Joy connects and unites. Joy is resistance.
What’s one material or technique you’re currently obsessed with?
Patchwork. I love using scraps and random bits from other garments to intentionally create tailored garments so that you would never know. The faux fur materiality is also a fun 3D patchwork technique that I figured out through trial and error. It’s also just satisfying to use up that pile of scraps that has been living and growing in my closet.
What does fashion mean to you today?
It’s impossible to view fashion without the system that comes with it. Today, I see fashion as harmful and exploitative. The industry has grown into something that no longer serves the people or planet, but instead capitalizes off of our human desires for self worth and community.
Think. Why would someone want to buy that new trendy clothing item off of Shein or Tiktok shop? Is it because they truly need the garment or is it because the garment also comes with the promise of being cool or cute, the idea of standing out and feeling unique, the promise that they could be happy and successful like the influencer that sold it to them? Fashion giants thrive off of the human pursuit of personal identity and fulfillment.
Fashion cannot continue as it is today. The planet is finite. The only future fashion has is one that is responsible and just.
What’s one thing you wish the fashion industry would leave behind—and one thing it should embrace?
I wish the fashion industry would leave behind the rapid trend cycles and micro seasons that perpetuate the cycle of consumption that is killing us and the planet. The business model of more more more just isn’t sustainable.
I think that companies should embrace supply chain transparency. Who is making these garments? How much are they being paid? Working conditions? Where and how are these materials being extracted? What happens to excess inventory?
Who or what has shaped your design values most?
For values, education on the realities of this exploitative system have really pushed me to want to do something about it. What control do I have as a 20 something year old designer? What can I even do? I want the rest of the world to be aware of the fashion system but how do I do that?
I start with my own practice with upcycling and thoughtful design. And what better way to bring people in than to make it fun and exciting? I do my best to spark conversation and start discourse to question the way fashion exists today. I want others to be inspired to take agency as I was. The world needs everyone practicing sustainable living and responsible consumption in an imperfect way, not a couple of people practicing it perfectly. Anything is better than nothing.
My design aesthetic and design language originates from my own personal journey with knowing myself. I enjoy things now, as an adult, in the ways I didn’t as a kid. I grew up fast for multiple reasons. I’m trying to reclaim the joy I could’ve had as a kid, the playfulness and the wonder. And I want to share this joy with others. I’ve always been drawn to fun and cute aesthetics and I’m finally really letting that take the front stage.
If you could design for anyone in the world, who would it be—and why?
This is a difficult question for me because my first reaction is that fashion should be for everyone. I think everyone should be included no matter size, ability, lifestyle, age, gender, or price point. Having accessible fashion is so necessary for a world that prioritizes the people.
That being said, I would love to design for some imaginary person who is just the perfect client and shares my enthusiasm and likes everything I do (duh). This ideal client would have a more extreme version of my style to push me to take my designs even further. I want them to have visions that are even bigger than mine so we can work together to create something larger than life and, more than anything, really fun.
That being said, realistically the perfect client would be a kid with a limitless imagination. I could imagine creatively problem solving my way into making any ridiculous construction work in real life and be functional. Problem solving and troubleshooting the functionality of garments while retaining the desired effect is something that drives my passion for designing. It’s like a fun puzzle or challenge. Honestly just typing this is making me excited to create.
Three things keeping you sane right now
Music is always something that has kept me grounded. My genres of choice, broadly, are metal and hardcore. Lately I’ve been liking subgenres like beatdown hardcore, sasscore, mathcore, beatdown deathcore, scenecore, metal rap, post hardcore, and sometimes nu metal. Going to gigs and letting some tension out has been really restorative.
Finding beauty in small things. I like taking and editing photos on lightroom to romanticize the moment. Taking pictures of small things of interest during the day and creating and editing social media content is something I genuinely enjoy doing. I love sharing my excitement and enthusiasm with anyone interested.
Building and strengthening existing connections and community. I love my friends and spending time with them, talking to them, and lifting them up. It is just so fulfilling and makes me feel like there’s still good in this world and that happiness is achievable. Having a shared connection and a community circle has been keeping my hope in the world.
One word to describe your design approach Fun!
Where can we find you online?
IG:@pinsandneedles.ktn
ktartanddesign.squarespace.com
