BECOMING Designer Spotlight: Riki Xiong
Written by Leila Ianovici
Riki Xiong shoots for the stars. As a freshman studying Textiles and Fashion Design at UW–Madison, Xiong is a first-year Vault member. He joined The Vault to complement his academic pursuits and gain experience within the fashion industry. Adding to his list of firsts, The Vault’s S26 fashion show, Becoming, was Xiong’s designer debut. “This is my first designer piece ever. I’ve never made anything before this,” Xiong said in an interview among the fabrics, needles and machines of a sewing studio at the Wisconsin School of Human Ecology.
Held in a gallery at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art on April 18, Becoming explored themes of growth, youth and the tension between dreams and reality. Divided into three chapters — “Play,” “Pressure” and “Becoming” — the show was a manifestation of the formative moments in life that shape, break, rebuild and define identity. From an audience perspective, Becoming was a show where fairy wings, blazers and sweat sets lived together on the same runway.
Xiong’s look, titled “Reached the Stars,” featured in the show’s final chapter as the final look. The piece is a blue and yellow sweat set patterned with stars to emulate the night sky. The sweatshirt is made from two upcycled hoodies — one blue and one yellow — that Xiong reconstructed into a single starry piece.
The back of Xiong’s look is where it really shines. A giant star, his design represents the fruition of dreams. “My piece is one giant yellow star. It's a reflection of who we wished to be and actually became,” Xiong said. “Many kids dream of becoming a professional athlete, actress, singer. My look reflects the hard work we put in to end up having dream positions like that. The sweat set represents being hugged by the dream you once longed for.”
April 18 came quickly. And for a debut designer, nerves were expected. Yet when asked about his outlook for the show, Xiong was surprisingly cool, calm and collected. “Can I be honest?” he said. “I think it's going to feel normal. I've wanted something like this for so long, way before coming to UW–Madison, so this is the perfect opportunity to see it happen. I’m nervous, but I know in my heart of hearts that this will get done. And when it does, it’s going to be great.”
To personify its conceptual ties to adolescence, Xiong wanted “Reached the Stars” to be modeled by a child. Mimicking a shooting star, the model closed the S26 fashion show by running down the aisle with open arms as if to chase childhood dreams and ambitions.
When asked what becoming meant to him, Xiong’s response reflected his own ambitions. “I’m a dancer, so I’m a dreamer myself,” he said. “Right now, I’m on my freelance journey, doing gigs here in Madison. Eventually, I want to end up in New York signed by an agency or in LA teaching dance. That’s the top goal. So to me, becoming means being okay with who I am in all stages of my life and continuing to move towards what I want.”
Xiong documents his creative projects on Instagram — @rikixiong — where his passions of dance and design coexist. Watch his content and it won’t take long to find one Riki Xiong dancing “quirkily” — his words — through his projects à la a true creative. From start to finish to reflection, the complete design process for “Reached the Stars” can be found on his profile.
Edited by Safa Razvi
