A Rose from Concrete: Part I 

This collection tells the story of a rose who blooms in the most unlikely of places.

She overcomes many storms before blooming. A force of nature: unstoppable beauty from urban sprawl.

“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Still, it blooms. A vibrant red rose, the Queen of flowers.

Red Rose Corset: Photography of Jiaqi Chen by Melissa Lully, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Broken Mirror Beauty  

Dreams come true.

Not like in fairy tales. In real life, they happen too.

They're filled with joy, creativity and love. Hard work, sacrifice, and resourcefulness bring dreams to fruition. Learning to adapt to change with grace.

Embrace growth.

“Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in concrete? Proving nature’s laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet. Funny, it seems to by keeping its dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared.”

-Tupac Shakur

Red Rose Corset and Gray Tulle Hi-low Skirt:

We opened this collection with a ruby red rose corset that laces all the way up the back. The rose is a large detachable, sculptural flower. It’s not the easiest to get into … but is any corset? Jiaqi did amazingly!

We wanted to incorporate timeless, feminine silhouettes and shapes. We chose "elegant eco warrior" instead of baring all. 

Roses and all...keep it classy! 

The corset also has a long history in women's fashion with some controversial elements. Some see the corset as binding and restricting women; while others, especially modern designers like Vivienne Westwood, see it as liberating, a statement piece. 

We see a red rose in bloom.

Photography of Jiaqi Chen by Melissa Lully, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Broken Mirror Beauty 

Red roses have deep and varied symbolism. For us, they represent love, beauty, and courage. With thorny stems and soft, velvety petals, this unique combination represents achievement, completion and true beauty.

A rainbow after storms... and every rose has thorns.

After overcoming difficulty, you can find harmony and happiness. You can reach for everything meant for you. 

Our rose is currently under revision to give it a more detailed, sculptural, and architectural fit. We built a detachable, structural flower so the corset can be worn both way, with and without the rose. 

Chess Queen Top and Chess Board Mini-Skirt:

Our Chess Queen is so fun. Our dad loves chess and taught us to play as little girls. Among other things, it taught strategy. 

He said:

“The Queen is the most powerful piece in the game. She goes anywhere on the board—any direction and number of spaces at a time. Don’t lose your Queen. When the King is out, the game is over. Checkmate.”

In Chess, the King and Queen work together to protect their Kingdom.

Photography of Kate Vitela by John Post 

Our top resembles a Queen Chess piece. It’s also undergoing fit revisions so the top stays in proper form. Keep the crown in place. In chess, the player who moves first is called White and the player who moves second is called Black.

We chose a Black Queen.

The chess board mini-skirt is digitally printed with blocks of gray and black to match, like concrete. The mini-skirt is another classic feminist statement shape.

A Rose from Concrete: Part II Coming Soon...