Lustado, Kenzo

Lustado, Kenzo
@jsungswrld / @kcc.i4

There’s an irony I carry with me every day—I chose a creative life, yet I often feel estranged from creativity itself. Inspiration doesn’t flow freely for me; it flickers, disappears, and sometimes refuses to come at all. I live with art block not as a phase, but as a constant, lingering presence. It sits in my chest, clouds my mind, clutters my space. And yet, I still create—not in spite of the block, but through it. As a creative navigating the constant tension between inspiration and emptiness, my work is rooted in irony—I chose a creative path, yet I often find myself disconnected from art. Art block isn’t a rare occurrence; it’s a lingering presence, a weight that both frustrates and defines me. Still, I choose to create. I draw from the chaos in my mind—the clutter, the noise, the emotional static—and channel it into design. My work isn’t always polished or perfect, but it’s real. It reflects the struggle of trying to make something beautiful while feeling detached from beauty itself. Through layers, texture, and intentional disorder, I transform my internal mess into something wearable—because sometimes, the only way through the block is to wear it.

This collection is born from disconnection—the kind that sits heavily in the chest of a creative who can’t create. It reflects my ongoing battle with art block, where inspiration feels distant and everything feels cluttered, both mentally and physically. I didn’t wait for clarity to arrive. Instead, I embraced the noise. The pieces are layered and chaotic—mirroring the mess inside my head.

Fabrics twist and fold in on themselves, silhouettes shift from structured to unhinged, and details feel both deliberate and impulsive. This isn’t just clothing—it’s a visual diary of frustration, healing, and the strange kind of beauty that surfaces when you surrender to the disorder. It’s not about perfection. It’s about persistence. About choosing to make something—anything—even when art feels impossible.

The Pause was created during a period of art block, which became both the challenge and the concept of the project. The most difficult part was continuing to design despite feeling mentally stuck, but pushing through taught me that progress does not always come from clarity, and that making can exist before ideas fully form. Working hands-on with textiles became my favorite part of the process, as repetitive making helped me reconnect with my creativity and slowly move past the block. Throughout the process, my initial vision shifted from frustration and confusion to a quieter acceptance of pause and release, with one piece undergoing multiple changes to reflect this emotional transition. This collection helped me understand that my identity as a designer is rooted in process-led, emotionally driven work, and that allowing vulnerability and trial-and-error into my practice strengthens both my designs and my creative voice.