Taipei Fashion Week is here! In a year that challenged fashion weeks around the world, Taipei endeavored to host a mix of live and virtual shows in order to celebrate its brightest design stars. The theme this year is “Re:connext”—fusing the meanings of connect and next—and hope, rebirth, and innovation are at the core of the event. Here are seven more designers to have on your radar.
1. Dleet
Since 2011, Dleet has expended from a menswear-only brand to incorporate womenswear too: much to the delight of its legions of fans. The Spring Summer ’21 collection is inspired by how we all have a duality to our personalities. This is interpreted in the garments by the layering and mixing of two opposite styles.
Dleet
2. C JEAN
Designer C JEAN looked to her experiences of American, Kiwi, and British cultures when designing her colorful and uplifting Spring Summer ’21 collection, which she showcased digitally. The theme is “Starry Starry Night”—namely a sky lit up by the bright lights of a city. It harks back to the unforgettable cityscapes she witnessed while on a student exchange in Kentucky. “I was only in high school. A friend of mine who came from Japan lied on the grass with me, looking at the sky as we shared our dreams. Whenever I think back, the image of the night sky was still unforgettable. That memory just stayed with me. I never saw anything like that again,” she said.
C JEAN
3. if&n
Designer I-Fen launched if&n seven years ago, seeking inspirations for her collections from travel, nature, and the elements. Her reliably fresh, ethereal, and elegant designs are masterpieces, just like a landscape painting. I-Fen uses rich materials and knits to create airy pieces where silhouette is key. Spring Summer ’21 is themed “Summer Breeze”, with a clear nod to a relaxing island vacation thanks to floral prints, butterfly motifs, and vivid green hues.
if&n
4. ALLENKO3
Designer Allen Ko of ALLENKO3 is heavily influenced by architecture, industrial design, and futuristic Sci-Fi elements—and this inspiration shines through his collections. The award-winning and innovative designer staged a five-day static presentation during Taipei Fashion Week, within a custom-built future lab. Ko wants to explore the relationship between humanity and clothing through a Sci-Fi perspective; combining clothes, C4D images, and installation art. In Ko’s eyes, clothes are an extension of the human form, so these garments aim to convey the evolution from monkey to man the many nuances of the human form.
ALLENKO3
5. Seivson
Jill Shen co-founded Seivson in 2017, and the brand has gone from strength to strength since. For Spring Summer ’21, Shen plays with classic fashion items such as an Hermés bag or the iconic Burberry trench, but adds her own theatrical flair. The theme “Apocalypse” serves to question traditional ready-to-wear as we know it, by breaking down the border between indoor and outdoor clothes and transforming home decor into fashion.
Seivson
6. Wei Yu Hung
Bringing art and humans closer is always on designer Wei Yu Hung’s agenda. The use of barkcloth, a traditional fabric, is also integral to Hung’s design ethos. For the Spring Summer ’21 collection, titled “Goddess”, the focus is on creating a universal goddess image; one that could recover the sadness, sorrow, and negative feelings and pass the message of hope and positivity after the devastating spread of COVID.
Wei Yu Hung
7. #DAMUR
For his #kiosk project, Damur Huang is focused on upcycling clothes, working with textile manufacturers and chemical plants to create water-proof, light and foldable garments made by grade P2-rated protective medical materials. He says, “With the advancement of digital technology and materials, we can produce excellent products
everywhere. Designing a piece of garment is actually about designing the language of a society. The
important key is to find a community that recognizes and resonates with your language or perspectives.
Damur
Plus!
Paru Cunuq is committed to the research of traditional fabric crafts, native tribal crafts, and industrial development, and the development of aboriginal clothing culture. Meanwhile, Sabra Andre presented an offering inspired by her childhood memories of Taitung.
(courtesy)
Themed Exhibition: Virtual Escape
A virtual showcase also took place, bringing viewers on a journey into a dark and infinite
digital world constructed from the dreams of the Taipei Fashion Week designers.
Watch the full exhibit here:
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip.
