Fashion Design · Runway Collection · CMU Lunar Gala
Whispers Before Sleep
Six bedtime stories, sewn into pajamas, slips, and lounge separates for Carnegie Mellon’s Lunar Gala runway.
My Role
Co-Designer
Collection
6 Looks
Show
CMU Lunar Gala
Design duo —
Cara Moe
Tian Zhou
The concept
Every look began as a bedtime story — the ones that taught us about love, loneliness, and the ache of a nightlight switched off too soon.
The Memory
Falling asleep to a bedtime story — a liminal time between reality and dreams. The safety of the covers, the glow of a nightlight, a voice reading just for you.
The Ache
None of us remember the exact night the stories stopped. The collection leans into that fleetingness — nostalgia as both comfort and quiet loss.
The Collection
Six fairytales, six silhouettes — from Andersen to a Chinese moon goddess to an original music box — each rebuilt in fabric and form.
From The Concept Note
The quiet heartbreak of nostalgia — it isn’t just about what we remember, but about what slipped away when we weren’t paying attention.
The gallery
The creak of a rocking chair. The sound of pages turning in the dark.
One day, without noticing, the music box is left on a shelf — and we’re switching off our own lights.
The tenderness of being cared for. The wonder of imagination. The bittersweet ache of remembering what once felt so safe.
LOOK 01
The Princess
After Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea”
Tier upon tier of fabric layers mimic the towering mattresses from the tale — quilted silks, ruched chiffons, and padded satin, piled high in playful proportions.
The Details
NECKLACE
Tangled gold chain, emerald “pea” pendant
BODICE
Lavender chiffon, sheer lace-trimmed overlay
BOTTOM
Red-striped bloomers, duvet-strap belt
TIGHTS
Sheer, hand-lettered with lines from the tale
Pea pendant, detail
Standing close up, full
Original Design Sketch
“A quiet green accent is tucked subtly into the design — a nod to the hidden pea that disrupts.”
LOOK 02
The Prince Wonders
After Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince”
The cores of the design are two symbols from the tale — the rose, embodying possession and longing, and the fox, representing companionship and the bonds.
The Details
SILHOUETTE
Clean tomboy suit, dropped shoulder, floral skirt
MOTIF
Hand-embroidered floral vines at the sleeve and hem
PALETTE
Sage green, warm cream, a whisper of rose-gold
Suit combination, full
Floral embroidery, shoulder
Original Design Sketch
“Together, they capture the lessons of love, memory, and connection that made the story unforgettable.”
LOOK 03
The Goddess Sorrows
After the Chinese legend of Chang’e, 嫦娥奔月
Granted immortality, yet condemned to solitude, forever separated from her loved ones on earth — her story carries both beauty and heartbreak.
The Details
SILHOUETTE
One-shoulder draped gown, dolman sleeve
CUFF
Quilted, button-studded, finished in a soft ruffle — worn like a carried pillow
PALETTE
Deep indigo fading into pale moonlit blue over ivory silk
Metal Lettering, detail
Draped skirt, side
Original Design Sketch
“Every gift can come with sacrifice.”
LOOK 04
The First Whisper
An original fantasy of the music box
As though the wearer has been encased inside a mahogany shell — metallic accents, golden embroidery, and mirrored surfaces shimmer like gears, hinges, and gilded flourishes.
The Details
ACCESSORY
Sleeping mask
BODICE
Ruffle-trim bralette, striped like a music-box comb
HARDWARE
Gold studs tracing the cylinder notes of a music box
Close up, full
Gold studs, top
Original Design Sketch
“A hidden world revealed only when the lid is lifted.”
LOOK 05
Goodnight Moon
After Margaret Wise Brown’s “Goodnight Moon”
An oversized ruffled collar tops a quilted bolero jacket; below, a striped garter-set skirt nods to old flannel pajamas, finished with thigh-high socks and ruffled ankle cuffs the color of a goodnight kiss.
The Details
COLLAR
Oversized ruffled collar, quilted bolero jacket
BOTTOM
Striped garter-set skirt with lace trim
LEGWEAR
Thigh-high socks, ruffled ankle cuffs in dusty rose
Ruffle collar, detail
Garter skirt, front
Original Design Sketch
Striped wallpaper calm, before the light goes out.
LOOK 06
The Loner Begs
After Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes”
Shredded tailoring, frayed hems, and scorched edges suggest a regalia that has rotted from the inside out — authority unraveling thread by thread.
The Details
TOP
Cotton henley, hand-distressed with “breakin” holes
BOTTOM
Rayon oversized pajama pants, paper-bag waist
FINISH
Tiny cuts and disintegration through the leg, 3D floral patches across trouser legs
Scenary, full
Leg patches, pants
Original Design Sketch
“Dazzled by praise, cannot see his own undoing.”
The line-up
I. The Prince Wonder
II. Goodnight Moons
III. The Loner Begs
IV. The Goddess Sorrows
V. The First Whisper
VI. The Princess
say hi
Let’s get in touch!
Would love to talk projects, collaborations, or anything design!