The Manuals We Never Knew We Were Following

In the book "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata, Keiko tried hard to fit in. She was given a manual telling her how to behave in every possible situation - by her sister, by her employer, by her friends. While people keep on goading her to look normal, they never really say why or how.

As a result, Keiko ends up mimicking her co workers. She admits to taking cues about shoes, coats, makeup from a Mrs Izumi who looks "normal" for a 30+ woman.

Reading this made me wonder, if this is what all of us are really trying to do. Fitting in with people by looking a certain way. Fashion marketplaces like Myntra, Nykaa bank on this very sentiment to sell us "curated" styles based on what some celeb wore in a movie. The consequence of this is that we all end up following the same trend - looking alike. There is comfort in borrowing someone else's decisions. If a celebrity wore it, how wrong can it be?

But the consequence of this is also that there is no individuality left anymore. In the homogenous crowd of people, everyone just fades in the background. It manifests in our wardrobe as a mish-mash of a random collection of clothes.
An airport look inspired by an Instagram reel.
A festive outfit borrowed from a television character.
A brunch dress because everyone seemed to own one.
A colleague's "workwear essentials."

Too many choices, but too little of us in any of it.

What would it feel like to stop borrowing from someone else's template?
I built Papion to explore this very question.
To get people out of their uniforms. To bring out a sense of identity.

Long before we introduce ourselves, people have already formed impressions. If our appearance is going to communicate something anyway, I'd rather it communicate us than the latest trend.

P.S : Link to Papion - https://papion-glow.online/