Fashion thesis dresses you like a thoroughly modern Link
Andrew Shields, a student at Parsons the New School of Design, believes that while it isn't easy being green, Link still looks spectacular decked out in viridian. Hyrule's chosen warrior and his companions in The Legend of Zelda are the inspiration for Shields' BFA thesis, a men's clothing line that will be ready-to-wear provided he acquires the necessary funding to see it complete.
"When I was young I wasn't really allowed to play with Barbies or draw dresses in my notebook, so I stopped and played on the computer, and I learned to play video games," explains Shields, in a brief video on Kickstarter. "My thesis is based on The Legend of Zelda, a game that helped shape my childhood and taught me how to explore and navigate through life."
Navigation Awaits, the name of Shields' line, includes 21 items making up seven different outfits. These range from leafy t-shirt and jeans combos that look like Link's preferred outfit for an Avicii show to more avant garde numbers right out of a Cirque de Soleil adaptation of Twilight Princess.
"The Hyrulian wardrobe is pretty diverse and proportions are pretty well developed so I think most people could pull it off," Shields told Joystiq via email. "If there really was a big difference I would say the addition of synthetics and metal notions like zippers."
"I did think on changing the theme of my collection, by taking inspiration from only Majora's Mask, and doing a really dark, twisted collection. Ultimately, I decided a lighter collection would represent the greater whole and thats more what I wanted to do."
The real question: Will you get to wear these designs?
"I'm really not sure at this point," said Shields. "At the end of my second semester we'll be reviewed by a panel of judges and buyers and hopefully my collection will be picked up. If not, I might make an Etsy store or just use my contacts to get the collection produced and distributed somewhere.
Looking to raise $6500 to complete the project, Shields needs to outsource production costs on some items, metal working, and even Swarovski embellishments to get that jeweled shine essential to some of Link's wardrobe.
[Images: Andrew Shields]
