Tiffany Lau

Industrial Design, 2019

Combining modular outerwear with a cyclical business practice, WaiTao is an embodiment of sustainability. Waitao is one outerwear garment that is able to transform into 32 different jackets.

Most reversible jackets lack practical utility of pockets and are only small variants on either side. By tackling the two ends of the jacket spectrum, from formal to casual, wearers are able to dress the jacket down or up and everything in between. Anyone can customize their own WaiTao online from specific sizes, material choices, patterns, and prints.

The goal is to change consumption behaviors and attitude. By adding customization opportunities post purchase, wearers are still creating and altering the piece as they continue to use it. It is constantly changing and evolving rather than being stagnant. Each one is completely unique and dynamic to the person that created it.

Tiffany Lau is inspired and motivated by empathetic and interactive design. Through her four years in the design program, she’s gained an appreciation for collaborative design research that empowers and enables the people (stakeholders, clients, etc.) to create and cultivate their own unique experiences. Being able to engage our minds and bodies in these multi-sensory spaces allows for educational and impactful memories.