Projects

EXHALATION

Project Introduction
This interdisciplinary project called EXHALATION, an exhibition about TEXTILE WASTE and FUTURE UTOPIAS curated by Sarah Schurian. Under this concept there was a performance event where my collection “Out of the Fashion Cave” was presented by two dancers, Noomi and Tim. Following the performance, the design was incorporated into the exhibition.

Out of the Fashion Cave

The fashion industry plays a significant role in shaping and influencing consumer aspirations and dreams. While glamorous garments are a form of fashion, it is also evident that the basic daily garments that are worn by the majority of people are also a form of fashion. The reality behind the scenes of fashion is often goes unseen. Utopia and reality are not merely antithetical concepts, they are intricately interwoven and interdependent.

Video credit: Sarah Schurian, Nanyi Li

Fashion X Craft 2023-2024

Program introduction
Funding project “Fashion X Craft” curated by the Fashion Council Germany in partnership with the Swarovski Foundation and The King‘s Foundation.
The program ran for one year, from the announcement during Berlin Fashion Week in January 2023 until the end of Berlin Fashion Week 2024. In July 2023, the main activity was the 3-week designer residency organized by The King’s Foundation at Highgrove. The learning during these three weeks included basketry weaving, woodworking and plaster workshops. Lenzing AG then sponsored various Tencel fabrics for our project. Each participant was required to design a look for the project to be presented at Der Berliner Salon during Berlin Fashion Week in 2024.
More information about the program: https://www.fashion-council-germany.org/initiativen/fashion-x-craft

Evening Dress

What appears to be fragile and noble fur are actually second-hand black jeans’ raw edges. The black traditional Chinese knots are crafted from discarded headphone wires. An elegant black evening gown with a rush corset, paired with a handbag that combines rough, natural organic forms, natural materials and meticulously crafted artificial materials…

These inspirations come from the experience of Fashion x Craft this project in the UK last year and the thoughts of some personal travels. Glamorous dinner party in Dumfries House; people in noble and elegant black dresses and suits, as graceful as upper-class people in movie scenes; exquisite corsets from the Victorian era in the museum; dazzling evening gowns and jewelry in vintage shops…In contrast is the simple rural environment of Highgrove; the dirty and hard-wearing work clothes; the hard-working hands soaked in natural materials.

This contrast always makes me think about the value of fashion. It’s the paradox of the industry and the concept of fashion. Is the name and skill invested in traditional natural handicrafts with hard-working hands considered a luxury, or are those luxurious elements that are empty and elegant and used to embellish humanity considered a luxury?

Photo credit: Ben Mönks, Eleanor Kenny, Nanyi Li

Flowers in the Fog 2022

Chinoiserie, chinese, exotic, western, traditional, comtemporary, familiar, strange, absurd, funny, weird…Everything like flowers in the fog, what is real? What is unreal?

_{用洋人看京戲的眼光來看看中國的一切，也不失為一樁有意昧的事。頭上搭了竹竿，晾著小孩的開檔褲;櫃檯上的玻璃缸中盛著「參須露酒」; 這一家的擴音機裡唱著梅蘭芳; 那一家的天線電裡賣著癩疥瘡藥; 走到「太白遺風」的招牌底下打點料酒……這都是中國。紛壇，刺眼，神秘，滑稽。多數的年輕人愛中國而不知道他們所愛的究竟是一些什麼東西。無條件的愛是可欽佩的—— 唯一的危險就是: 遲早理想要撞著了現實，每每使他們倒抽一口涼氣，把心漸漸冷了。我們不幸生活於中國人之間，比不得華僑，可以一輩子安全地隔著適當的距離祟拜著神聖的祖國。那麼，索性看個仔細吧! 用洋人看京戲的眼光來觀光一番吧。有了驚凜與眩異，才有明了， 才有靠得住的愛。 ——《洋人看京戲及其他》張愛玲}

“Flowers in the Fog” was my master graduation project. It embodies the ambiguity of reality and authenticity. Influenced by Homi Bhabha’s “Third Space” theory and Ailing Zhang’s creative approach, this collection seeks to bridge Chinese and Western cultures. Zhang’s portrayal of ancient Chinese objects in her novels, which observe a feudal society from a modern perspective, inspires my design method. Following the footsteps of artists such as Wang Jin, Do Ho Suh, and Tatiane Freitas, I explore materials and techniques from industrialized society to present traditional elements.

The collection reflects the juxtaposition of ancient and modern China in the early 20th century, where absurdity and mixing reigned. I capture the fractured beauty of Hong Kong’s distorted Western culture intertwined with enduring Chinese traditions. Challenging notions of authenticity, titled “Flowers in the Fog,” repurposes Western clothing into traditional Chinese garments. Sustainability drives my approach as I repurpose second-hand clothing, contributing to the dialogue of cultural perspectives and environmental consciousness.

Photo credit: Tim Nowitzki
Model: Karla Huff, Jinyi Qian, Zhiqi Guan