Grandma’s Horror Stories

“Grandma’s Horror Stories” draws from the superstitious tales Dairu Ren heard from her grandmother while growing up in China. The New York-based designer transforms these childhood memories into four handmade looks. The collection is rooted in the hand-knitting and crochet techniques Ren began learning at the age of eleven—skills that continue to shape her creative practice today.

Each look draws from a fragment of these childhood stories—a piece of gum, a fish, a grape, or an umbrella. Through vivid yarns, rich textures, and unexpected shapes, these familiar objects become playful garments that move between fashion and soft sculpture.

Ren finds much of her inspiration through the process of making. By working with crochet, knitting, and a range of materials, she allows each piece to develop its own shape and character. Handcraft becomes more than a method of construction; it gives physical form to memories and emotions that were first passed down through words.

Every piece is made entirely by Ren through a slow and careful process. The collection brings together the fine craftsmanship of slow fashion and the freedom of avant-garde design, while finding a balance between function and art. In contrast to the speed and sameness of mass production, it values time, individual skill, and the beauty of work made by hand.

For Ren, sustainability is not limited to materials or production methods. It also comes from creating an emotional and cultural connection between a garment and the person who wears it. When clothing carries a meaningful story, it can be valued and kept beyond a single season.

By bringing her grandmother’s stories from China into her design practice in New York, Ren allows inherited memories to take on a new life. “Grandma’s Horror Stories” shows how clothing can carry a story forward—from one generation to another, stitch by stitch.