The skirt pictured was designed using an encoding-decoding framework for Islamic art-inspired “constellation patterns,” developed by Rebecca Lin in collaboration with Craig S. Kaplan. Beginning with a graphical description, the system decodes the graph into a circle-packing scaffold, onto which traditional compass-and-straightedge construction techniques are applied. By combining mathematical abstraction with computational tooling, it enables designers to define motifs and their relationships without the arduous task of resolving geometric inconsistencies required for seamless composition. Results range from classical recreations to experimental, organic, and even chaotic forms such as this one. The skirt pattern was then laser cut and hand-draped.

 We thank CAMIT and MIT MAD for their generous support.