Woolmark Wunderkind: An Interview with China’s Nominee Chu Yan
The Woolmark company is the central authority when it comes to Australian merino wool. They have a long history of courting designers to use these natural fibers, creating high profile historical initiatives such as the International Woolmark Prize (IWP). Specifically with the IWP, Woolmark has created a fashion design competition that hopes to recognize and sustain outstanding fashion talent who can use wool. Past contestants include Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. Now encompassing a wide global reach, Woolmark targets a variety of continents including Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the USA. Chinese designers of course have played a prominent role: back in 2008, Shanghai designer Qiu Hao won the international award to critical acclaim. This year’s competition sees three Chinese nominees in the race so far, with one of them being Chu Yan. Nominated by the China Fashion Association to be part of the competition, Chu Yan’s work is defined by Eastern simplicity and a poetic adherence to nature. We talked about her thoughts of working intimately with wool, how she marries her Eastern philosophy with a Western material, and what she tries to convey with her competing design entry.
A Talk with Hong Kong’s Michael Leung: Urban Beekeeper, Rooftop Farmer, Designer
Meeting an urban beekeeper is not the most common of experiences. Though such a profession does pique people’s interests, it is a job not particularly conventional (or well known for that matter). To meet such a person then who also works as a rooftop farmer and a designer is even more unheard of: especially in a commerce-driven city like Hong Kong. Yet that is exactly who Michael Leung is. A celebrated designer and fixture in Hong Kong’s media and food circles, Leung is one of those peculiar breeds of people with a penchant for quirky eco-pastimes. Originally a London boy, Leung grew up in a predominantly urban life, living in the UK before moving to Amsterdam and then later to Hong Kong. This constant transplanting has undoubtedly characterized who he is today: an ardent supporter for locally grown food and a greater awareness of how society should be connected to nature.
The Logistical Nightmare of Eco-Friendly Fashion (Part 1 of 2)
A few months ago I was approached by Greenpeace who were recently launching their “Toxic Threads” campaign. The environmental initiative intended to gain worldwide publicity about the toxicity created from harmful fabric dyes and the ways the fashion industry is destroying the planet through unethical industry practices. Their campaign was prominently featured with a photo-shoot campaign by China-based photographer Lance Lee, with an Op-Ed article written by Creative Director Tommy Crawford on the Business of Fashion. Greenpeace asked me if I would like to feature them on my blog. Seeing an opportunity to open a dialogue, I agreed. I sent over questions, which in typical Black Renaissance fashion, were critical, analytical and in-depth. I was and am by no means a sustainability skeptic. But to earn a place in my blog, I asked Greenpeace, like all other people on my blog, to be honest, insightful, and willing to stand their ground about what they believe in. Nothing more, nothing less. I asked questions such as how can current fabric dyeing practices can be replaced if Greenpeace hopes to remove them, and why the typical fast-fashion customer should care about this campaign. I received no response despite a somewhat enthusiastic correspondence before. I gave the benefit of the doubt and emailed them again. Second time, no response. In fact, nothing has come over since then. It’s as if they had disappeared like ghosts. Or maybe they didn’t like the sort of questions I asked because they seemed like difficult questions, and would rather not confront the logistical nightmares that come with the term “eco-fashion”.
Shanghai’s Creative Carnival: Where Music, Fashion, Art and Design Unite
China typically maintains a reputation as a harem of mindlessly expansive shopping malls and a wealth of luxury consumers. When money is indicative of power, it’s therefore no surprise that one of the first tier cities, Shanghai, prides itself on its ability to provide sleek commercial efficiency and modern skyscrapers.That said, a counter-culture has been brewing away over the past few years that counteracts such a trend: namely a much humbler, cooler, quieter design and indie movement. Shanghai is home to this growing crop of creative professionals, as young and hip professionals in the areas of music, art, fashion and design are starting to gain prominence. This is a new wave of predominantly young and small business, still not quite up to par in comparison to international cities, but certainly a force who are looking to propel the image of China as a future hub of design-conscious trendsetters. Cue in the Design, Art and Fashion Fair (DAFF), a biannual event where the menagerie of China’s finest creative rebels descend together for a grand lifestyle fair. Open to the general public, DAFF will be hosting an event this month that hopes to bring together some of China’s most stylish and brightest.
Motion - Asian Couture Fashion Week
FIDE is the Singaporean events and media company who has been responsible for the appearances of the fashion weeks in Singapore. Their impressive portfolio include women’s fashion week, men’s fashion week, and most notably, haute couture fashion week. The later part of last year saw FIDE partner up with esteemed fashion destination Siam Paragon in Thailand for another couture fashion week. Designers include mavericks from France, Japan, Singapore, Korea and Thailand. The move comes as part of a popularizing trend of haute couture in Asia, including the not too distant election of Chinese couturier Yiqing Yin to the ranks of Paris’ much esteemed Chambre syndicale de la Haute Couture. This documentary outlines some of the latest happenings during that time. For a more detailed report, feel free to read Showstudio’s report of the event, and an essay on the emerging evolution of Thailand’s cultural and design identity.
Collecting for the Quirky Casa: An Interview with Vintage Furniture Hunter Irene Capriz
Tucked away behind the drab industrial buildings, dusty garages and noisy trucks of east Hong Kong, there is a new revolution brewing. In the unassuming precinct of Hong Kong’s Chai Wan, a crop of new creative concepts are popping up. Trying to escape the ridiculous rent that has plagued Hong Kong’s prime retail spots, trendy shops, cafes and galleries are now descending in this neighbourhood. This area, much like other chosen parts of Hong Kong, can be defined by that odd dance of gentrification that eventually takes place. One such gem in the Chai Wan area is Casa Capriz, a vintage furniture showroom recently opened last December by Italian-Malaysian expat Irene Capriz. It is an airy retail space of eclecticism, character and tongue-in-cheek charm, aiming to sell hard-to-find vintage furniture pieces to a discerning design-conscious crowd. Capriz, a seasoned vintage furniture hunter, travels and trawls through the world’s flea markets and shops in meticulous fashion. She is articulate, design-savvy and practical in her approach to running her business. We found time to talk despite her busy schedule, where she explains to me how the reception has been to her new business, the time she fell in love with Louis Vuitton trunks, and that day when she had to move a 500kg stage lamp all by herself.
Hong Kong’s Shopping Malls: The Origins and Development of the Retail Mecca
The prevalence of shopping malls littered across Hong Kong illustrates the city’s far-reaching consumption culture. Buoyed by the huge influx of Mainland visitors and their insatiable thirst for foreign brands, the city has become a bridge where East meets West in capitalistic celebration. Malls have become a social center and a place of pastime visited by tourists and locals alike. The city’s urban development places an inordinate emphasis on these retail centers. And thus, malls of every single price-tier, be they for affluent visitors or blue-collar workers, are found all over the city. Perhaps one would find it a shock then to know that Hong Kong’s malling phenomenon is a mere fifty years old. What is now a bustling retail hub with the most expensive retail strip in the world was once borne from humbling beginnings.
On Fashion and Art: A SCAD Hong Kong Discussion
Dialogues that attempt to define the relationship between fashion and art have existed for decades. From the couture creations of high-brow ateliers to accessible street-style chic, fashion has become a term that evokes a spectrum of responses whether it is indeed a form of art. It is nebulously subjective, because it ranges from banal commerciality, to the impractically exquisite gowns of haute couture. Though the discussion of fashion and art is not entirely original, as CEO of Deluxeword’s Daniel Jeffreys admits, he along with a series of fashion industry experts took to the stage to discuss the issue in the belief that the topic has become timelier than ever. And thus, in a hallowed room hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong, a panel discussion took place. The discussion ranged from the importance of art collaborations in the China market, to the looming and ominous presence of luxury conglomerates, to the pressures that designers face to create products at an alarming rate. In essence, the panelists brought light how the fashion industry has evolved into its present relationship with art.
Generously Giftwell: Presents That Celebrate Hong Kong’s Small Businesses
Gift-giving has always had its roots firmly grounded in Hong Kong tradition. From traditional red pockets during Chinese New Year, to the modern commercial roar of Christmas sales, the variety of gift choices can be endless and admittedly confusing. As a solution, gift cards have become somewhat of a popular retail practice that relieves the awkward dance between shopping, giving and receiving these tokens of appreciation. Gift cards are nifty because they ensure cash upfront to merchants, minimize the hassle of choosing an adequate gift, and ensure that the the recipient indeed loves their gift. There is one problem though that Connie and Shirley Lee discovered when they transplanted themselves from New York to Hong Kong: the practice of gift cards in the city seemed to be only limited to big brands and chains. Much to their dismay, its presence was not nearly as common amongst Hong Kong’s niche retailers. And so with the determination to bring an American tradition to the shores of Hong Kong, Giftwell was born…
Motion - Seoul Fashion Documentary
It’s no secret that Seoul is fast becoming a rising Asian metropolis. Celebrated for its soft-power prowess, one of the cities greatest strength is its fashion industry. However, the sector however is still quite nascent. This means that Seoul does not garner the kind of coverage and attraction that stalwarts like Paris and Milan might attract. This documentary, filmed by Semipermanent, looks at the current state of Korean fashion in a fresh, accessible way. Semipermanent also looks at other cultural topics in Korea, including a light-hearted dating video featuring good friend Luigina.
