This lab coat reimagines the HIV capsid as both a molecular wonder and a symbol of gendered resilience. Its design acknowledges the impact of HIV on women (the most affected currently), transforming scientific imagery into wearable empowerment. The silhouette takes inspiration from the cone-like structure of the capsid, translating molecular architecture into form and presence.

The garment negotiates protection and exposure, science and vulnerability, intellect and emotion. Its structure alludes to the capsid’s role as a protective shell—shielding fragile genetic material while enabling transformation—mirrored here as both armor and statement. Each line of draping recalls the relentless inquiry that has brought the microscopic into human view. More than attire, this lab coat becomes a space where science and fashion converge to confront inequity, honor resilience, and give shape to the unseen beauty of molecular worlds.

This work explores the garment as a site of embodied memory and biomedical ritual in the context of HIV. Constructed in two layers, the piece negotiates the tension between invisibility and hyper-visibility—a lived experience common to many HIV-positive individuals in contemporary society. The base garment, a black sequined dress, invokes both mourning and glamour.

It reflects the dual nature of the HIV experience as private and political, clinical and aesthetic. Along this surface, symbolic textile interventions in white are affixed—gestures that evoke care, clinical neutrality, and the quiet repetitions of medical adherence. Their softness belies their precision. The outer shell takes the form of a humanoid figure, covered in multicolored icons and trailing beaded strands. These elements function as temporal markers—visualizing transformation, survival, and the ongoing negotiation of identity under biomedical and emotional surveillance.

The figure is not a metaphor for fear, but a formalization of the post-viral self: shaped by science, memory, and ongoing acts of self-definition. Through layering, stitching, and symbolic adornment, the garment frames HIV not as a static diagnosis but as a dynamic site of temporality, relationality, and ritualized survival. In doing so, it positions the dressed body not merely as canvas, but as a critical interface between medicine, design, and lived experience.

This design reflects the intersection of minority queer culture and biomedical research. As HIV disproportionately affects queer people of color in urban spaces, the coat-pant ensemble honors the humanity of those impacted. Drawing data and imagery from Dr. Luis Montaner’s research at the Wistar Institute, the piece becomes a “costume of hope,” recognizing both scientific progress and the power of community surrounding HIV research. The partnership between Wistar and the BEAT-HIV Delaney Collaboratory, rooted in care and a shared voice, guided the design to emphasize community as much as research.

The silhouette draws inspiration from LGBTQ+ ballroom fashion in New York City, particularly Harlem and the Bronx. Using archival images of 1980s vogue dancers and house mothers, the garments incorporate elements from personal and performance ensembles. Figures like Pepper LaBeija, Angie Xtravaganza, and Willi Ninja serve as key references, honoring their cultural legacy and leadership during the AIDS epidemic. Design features such as belted waists, padded shoulders, bold prints, and fabric excess – used in ballroom to express luxury, identity, and autonomy – influenced these garments.

Initially inspired by a lab coat, this jacket is transformed with a long lapel cape and hood – the hood referencing a magazine image of Angie Xtravaganza following Paris Is Burning. Flared pants with a ruched bodice nod to Pepper LaBeija’s draped style, infusing the look with flamboyance and pride. The satin fabrication is a digital printed image from a rectal tissue biopsy. The main hues derive directly from the BEAT-HIV Delaney Collaboratory logo. Simultaneously, the colors symbolize the history of AIDS activism (red), the dawn for a cure (yellow), and, of course, Wistar itself (teal).

Ultimately, this ensemble looks back to move us forward – channeling the expressive power of the ballroom floor into a vision of healing and hope. It stands as a call to action and a testament to collective effort. The groundwork of determination and resilience has already been laid – we need only the courage to continue moving toward a cure that is within reach.

The labcoat/dress Chiaroscuro Beckoning explores themes of community, resilience, and urgency within the ongoing
narrative of the HIV/AIDS crisis.This garment acts as both a symbolic and visual fusion of clinical science and lived experience that is crafted to honor patients and healthcare providers who persist in the face of adversity. The silhouette, a blending of a lab coat and daywear, represents the intimate relationship between doctor and patient. The black base evokes the uncertainty surrounding current HIV AIDS research funding, while gold elements stand as symbols of hope, courage, and the enduring spirit of those affected.

Embroidered across the lab coat portion of the garment are portraits of real individuals living with HIV—including two
patients of the collaborating physician. These portraits are interlinked by gold thread, representing the strength of community. The trailing threads symbolize connectedness and subtly reference hair samples used in clinical research. The “patient” side of the garment features a pleated dress designed to reflect the impact of HIV/AIDS on women. The dynamic movement of the pleats suggests vulnerability and transformation, while the gold peeking through symbolizes the stigma that compels many to hide their diagnosis. A sleeve threaded in gold mimics the pathways of arteries and veins, alluding to viral load testing in the bloodstream. Across the chest, a gold anatomical heart pays homage to the compassion and care that defines the fight against HIV/AIDS from patients and providers.

On the back, a broken clock is embroidered to signal the urgency and need for continued investment in HIV/AIDS research. Fraying seams along the coat and skirt edges point to the threat of defunding and the fragility of progress. Together, these elements serve as a call to action—a reminder that the fight is far from over and urges the viewer to consider their role in supporting the ongoing struggle for equity, compassion, and care in HIV/AIDS advocacy.

The intention of this garment is to empower women to be in control of their health choices and outcomes. Inspired by Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo’s research on the distribution of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to women in Sub-Saharan Africa, this project presents HIV PrEP medication as a source of hope for individuals living in high-risk areas. Knowing that stigma still exists around HIV and AIDS, this project presents PrEP in a positive light and prompts a conversation about supporting women’s sexual health research.

The pattern of beads extending off the cuffs and hem of the jacket is an abstracted version of the sound wave corresponding to the phrase My Health My Right. This serves as a visualization of the concept of giving women a voice to be in control of their own healthcare choices. This statement is also embroidered on the inside of the coat, in a hidden manner that reflects the feeling of concealing one’s diagnosis and the stigma associated with talking about women’s sexual health in general. Designed to look like a dress, the coat is primarily white because of the historical significance of this color to women’s rights advocacy, especially in politics. The details of blue come from the Truvada pill color, and the bits of yellow come from the beautifully vivid colors of fluorescence micrographs of vaginal-fluid smears from a study on bacterial vaginosis, a condition in women associated with acquisition of HIV.

Drawing from the ovular shapes from this same bacteria imaging and the shape of the PrEP pill, organic curves are present throughout the look in seams and beaded patterns. These continuous lines refer back to the presence of HIV in an individual’s body over the course of a lifetime. Curves and circulation are a reminder of equality and community, two important themes in women’s health advocacy. This garment serves as a call to action for women to come together and lift up those with HIV and support others in high-risk areas.

The “Amplification” lab coat is intended to amplify the voices of those affected by HIV and those working tirelessly to further progress in care, treatment, and awareness. For decades, HIV has been surrounded by stigma, fear, and ostracization. Through my research, I’ve traced moments in history where individuals and communities broke through that silence, demanding to be heard. One of the most powerful examples came from the “ACT UP” movement, which declared with powerful typography blasted across pasteboards, “SILENCE = DEATH”. This refers to governments and communities ignoring, or covering their ears to the AIDS/HIV epidemic, as well as many with HIV, in denial, hoping it would just go away if they pretended it wasn’t there.

This coat serves as a wearable embodiment of that declaration. It emphasizes the urgency of education, awareness, and listening. The “ear” pockets represent how we should amplify the voices of those who are silenced and ignored, giving volume to the dismissed. The grey-colored foam reflects the remembrance of the past and the battles fought to get where we are today, and serves as a reminder that no one should be reduced to stigma. The 1/4” foam, cut in an off-the-body silhouette, highlights the barriers of stigma that must be confronted and broken down.

This coat is more than a fashion statement, but a call to listen, to reflect on how we treat others, and to take responsibility for supporting those within our own communities and appreciating the breakthroughs of medicine and science within HIV.

For this project, I was partnered with Mitchell Warren, Executive Director of AVAC—a global nonprofit rooted in ethics, compassion, and impact. AVAC’s work goes beyond science; they focus on turning HIV prevention research into community-centered action, building trust and connection from policy all the way to the human level.

That same spirit of connection inspired the “Caring Set.” This look pays tribute to Princess Diana, whose kindness and empathy toward people living with HIV/AIDS helped break the stigma in the 1980s. She made her visits personal and uplifting, often wearing bright colors to ease the mood in tense hospital environments. At a time marked by fear and misunderstanding, she became a symbol of empathy and healing by opening new health centers, sitting with patients, and famously holding hands with people living with HIV. As she once said, “HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it.”

As a designer, I may not be developing vaccines or drafting policy, but I believe design can still carry hope. Princess Diana’s legacy of compassion shaped the rhinestone hand-and-flower motif at the heart of this project, a gentle symbol of reaching out, bridging divides, and offering warmth.

The design is a celebration of community, resilience, and visibility, directly inspired by the work of my partnered scientist, Dr. Michelle Cespedes, who focuses on expanding access to HIV prevention and care for communities that are too often overlooked including immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of color in New York City. This garment honors spaces like Black Trans Liberation, where culture, health, and self-expression intersect. Just as HIV research seeks to reach and uplift those who have been marginalized, the garment embodies inclusivity, empowerment, and visibility for every body.

Constructed from discarded lace sourced from production factories in the Garment District, the design transforms overlooked materials into something radiant, powerful, and echoes how science reimagines possibilities for communities once left behind. Dyed, layered, and sewn into ribbons of lace, the garment mirrors the stained-glass windows that adorn the hall of Black Trans Liberation, where icons such as Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lorde, and Cecilia Gentili are celebrated in light and flowers. These layered transparencies symbolize both the fragility and strength of communities who continue to thrive despite systemic barriers, while the floral motifs connect to the adornments of remembrance and resistance that mark queer and trans history.

The final silhouette, a stretched lace top paired with a voluminous skirt strengthened with horsehair braid, draws inspiration from the movements of dance and vogueing that enliven the space on community nights. The garment is presented on a size 14 model, reinforcing the message of inclusivity and representation within fashion. With every ribbon and layer, this piece speaks to the ongoing fight for equity in healthcare and the beauty found in communities that create their own sanctuaries of love, care, and expression. It is both a garment and a statement: a vision of how science and art together can honor lives, histories, and futures.

The “Plasma Economy” reimagines the Mao suit, once a uniform of collective prosperity, into a stark critique of illusion and sacrifice. Constructed in muted grey and consumed by the blood red, the garment exposes the bitter irony of a “good life” promised through selling one’s own blood. What the authority blindly promoted as a path to wealth instead became a vehicle of devastation, spreading HIV through entire towns and leaving lives in ruins.

Across the surface, appliqué veins run like fragile lifelines, a chilling reminder of how this act of blood-selling became embedded in everyday existence, entwined with the very dream of prosperity it was meant to secure.

The Mao suit, still carrying the silhouette of dignity and progress, here becomes a haunting paradox—its form whispering of richness while every thread is stained with loss. At once memorial and indictment, the piece forces us to confront the fragile, fatal cost of prosperity built on human sacrifice.