Meet Student Designer: Kiki Peng
KIKI PENG is a forward-thinking fashion label based in Chicago, established by Chinese-born designer and artist Qian Peng. The brand explores the deep connection between garments, the body, and the mind, using fashion as a medium for storytelling, self-reflection, and emotional expression.
Sustainability is at the heart of KIKI PENG’s design philosophy, not as an afterthought but as an inherent creative force. Kiki employs zero-waste techniques, including subtraction cutting, where fabric is shaped with minimal waste while allowing organic movement and fluidity in the final silhouette. She also reinvents textile development by repurposing off-cut fabrics, transforming scraps into intricate, layered compositions that tell their own stories of resourcefulness and renewal. These unconventional materials lend texture, depth, and an emotional quality to her garments, reinforcing the idea that sustainability can be both innovative and deeply personal.
Her work draws from personal narratives and bicultural experiences, often exploring themes of imbalance, transformation, and nostalgia. Through experimental fabric manipulation, sculptural silhouettes, and nuanced color palettes, she evokes emotions that resonate beyond the visual — inviting individuals to engage with clothing as an extension of memory, tension, and healing.
KIKI PENG is more than a fashion label—it is a philosophy that merges sustainability with
artistic exploration, redefining the way garments interact with the body and mind. It challenges conventional notions of clothing, encouraging people to see garments not just as objects of beauty, but as vessels of personal reflection, emotional storytelling, and conscious living.
