“PHASE 5” is a project by Joep Meuwissen, which tells a story about the growth and development of an individual with multicausal problems. The main focus of these problems lies on the mental “disorders” one can be labeled with. The collection shows a constant change in emotion and behavior.
Each phase the individual goes through is represented by an outfit within the collection.

The story begins with a joyful time. Playing and living free of worries.
As the individual gets older, he gets more conscious of his surroundings. Not only his surroundings get more chaotic, also his mind is turning into chaos.
All the obstacles he faces have left him broken. He turns away from his problems and starts a lonely search for his inner flame. During this time, he develops a layer to hide the scars of his past. This layer gives him an overconfident attitude. He acts bigger than he truly is.
At a certain point, the layer breaks. He is now determined to reinvent himself
and starts to chase his own vision, his own dream.

This story is based on the designer’s personal experience as he grew up with ADD and faced some other obstacles. By opening up about these problems and by proving they are to overcome, he hopes to create something recognizable which gives others the strength to keep growing as well.