Syndicated from The Black Renaissance
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.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED WHEN WORKING SPECIFICALLY WITH WOOL?
For this competition, I tried to make knitwear designs which I have never been familiar with. I had to learn the structure of yarn and its various weaving method from scratch. It was not only a challenge for me, but also an encouragement of my interest in knitwear design. My team and I also encountered many difficulties while dyeing wool fabrics with plant dyeing techniques, especially when we tried to dye them blue with indigo. We went through quite some failures before we achieved a satisfactory color.
YOUR DESIGNS ARE OFTEN INSPIRED BY CHINESE TRADITION AND CUSTOMS. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO INCORPORATE THIS EASTERN AESTHETIC WITH A FABRIC THAT HAS VERY STRONG WESTERN ROOTS?
I have always stuck with natural fabrics in my designs. Although wool does have strong Western roots compared to more relatively Eastern fabrics like silk, they are both simply materials to me. They have their differences, but also share similar traits as natural fabrics. It’s quite natural for me to convey the essence of traditional Chinese culture with different fabrics.
HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WERE NOMINATED BY THE CHINA FASHION ASSOCIATION TO TAKE PART IN THIS COMPETITION?
It’s both a surprise and an honor for me to be recommended to be a part of this competition. I surely appreciate such a chance to reach wider audiences of my designs. Evidently the pressure of this competition exist as it does in any other occasion, but all I want is to do the best I can, and to fully express what my heart is eager to show.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A GROWING PRESENCE OF CHINESE DESIGNERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL FASHION STAGE. BACK IN 2008, QIU HAO WON THE WOOLMARK COMPETITION. THIS YEAR, THERE ARE TWO OTHER NOMINEES FROM CHINA ALONG WITH YOURSELF. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS GROWING WAVE OF FORMIDABLE CHINESE DESIGNERS?
I see it as a result of the continuously rising strength of China. There have always been many talented designers in this country. Without a mature market with sophisticated consumers and ongoing local support, it would be hard for designers to rise onto the international fashion stage. Yet the golden age of Chinese designers has now come, with plenty of opportunities pushing us to grow even faster. I just feel so lucky to be part of this era.
CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR DESIGN ENTRY FOR THIS COMPETITION. WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO CAPTURE? DO YOUR DESIGNS TRY TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF?
The inspiration of my designs for this competition came from the natural landscapes of southwest China and its traditional craftsmanship of ethnic minority groups. All the yarn and wool fabrics were dyed with indigo, a completely natural vegetable dye. I would say that every new design of mine is kind of a challenge, because of the new structures, techniques, and dyeing methods behind them. The most challenging aspect is creating modern innovation that marries with the traditional ethnic culture.
HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR DESIGN AND BRAND IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER NOMINEES IN THIS COMPETITION? WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT CHUYAN?
Frankly I haven’t seen or heard much about the designs and brands of other nominees. As for CHUYAN, I can’t say that it has any characteristics so particular and unique that cannot be seen in other brands. Yet since I created CHUYAN, it is unique for it presents what my heart pursues: it is prosaic and spectacular, tranquil and vivacious at the same time.
IS THERE ANYTHING NEW YOU HAVE LEARNT AND APPRECIATED NOW HAVING WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH WOOL?
Of course I have learned a lot. Before this competition, wool fabrics seldom appeared in my designs. However, Woolmark gave us tremendous support throughout this competition, which has helped me to grasp how wool works. I have discovered and learnt to appreciate the many charming characteristics of wool. I believe I will use wool fabrics much more often in my designs.
YOUR DESIGNS HAVE A STRONG CONNECTION TO NATURE, WITH YOUR MANUFACTURING AND DYEING METHODS BEING ECO-FRIENDLY. WHAT HAS MOTIVATED YOU TO BE SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-CONSCIOUS?
The philosophy of “harmony between nature and human” has always been pursued by Chinese people. In fact, most of the traditional Chinese techniques reveal a sustainable view on development. I am personally obsessed with those old techniques and craftsmanship. Based on my long deep love for clothing color and my understanding of the color aesthetic in traditional Chinese art, I have explored and practiced a lot with plant dyes in fashion design. I sincerely hope that more and more people will learn about and grow to love plant dyes, because it’s such an environmentally friendly, healthy, sustainable, and beautiful traditional dyeing technique. And I also hope that more and more people can understand the traditional Chines aesthetic of harmony with nature.
YOUR BRAND, CHUYAN, HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE 2011 WITH SOME GOOD SUCCESS ALONG THE WAY. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR BRAND IN THE COMING FUTURE?
Of course I hope more people will grow to be fond of our brand and buy our products. What’s even more important though is that more people can identify the values that CHUYAN praises: this includes paying more attention to culture, tradition, innovation, nature, and harmony.
—
Thanks to the Woolmark and Electricsekki team for all their help, and all the best to Chu Yan in the competition!
Related Post: To learn more about the rising wave of China’s fashion designers, click here.
To learn more about Woolmark’s IWP initiative, click here.
To read an interview with IWP’s Hong Kong nominee, ffiXXed, click here
Image Source: CHUYAN