Embracing Vulnerability as a Fashion Designer | Kai Ting Chen Interview

Just about every fashion designer has their raison d’être. Some established out to reimagine our unconscious bias of vogue, whilst others come to outline a motion. 

Kai Ting Chen is a Taiwanese designer daring us to embrace our humanity as a result of manner. Her collections provide as self-reflection even though masking concerns as broad as the Nan-King 1937 War to our individual vulnerability. Her award nominated ‘Fit & Vulnerability’ collection blends Asian streetwear with a New York feel, placing Chen’s personal philosophy at its heart.

We’ve sat down with Kai Ting Chen to find out the inspiration behind her most recent selection, the electric power of embracing vulnerability, and exactly where her subsequent style and design inspiration might come from.

Your most the latest assortment draws on the thought of checking out vulnerability as a result of trend. What does embracing vulnerability via fashion necessarily mean to you?

What type of apparel tends to make you sense vulnerable when you wear it? As a manner designer, I use vogue to clearly show my creative assertion. I want to investigate the subtle romance concerning garments and vulnerability.

My inspiration is Taleb’s book ‘Antifragile’ with its philosophy of not battling our vulnerability, but accepting it. When we take our vulnerabilities, we ultimately grow to be more robust.

Though researching for my thesis, I arrived across a estimate that sums it up well: “clothing is the closest item to our bodies, if without the need of them, we will really feel a perception of vulnerability”.

It took some trial and mistake to translate this notion into design and style. Storytelling performs an essential position in bringing our vulnerability to light-weight.

The full collection focuses on four phases – birth, wrecking, brain-changing, and integrity. My private encounters have been included into the DNA of this storyline. It demonstrates the vulnerability I experienced just after a health scare with my grandmother. I turned the fear of dropping an individual I loved into a resource of inspiration. Radiographs that experienced frightened me to appear at have been noticed through the lens of possible product options.

By accepting my vulnerability, this collection became a healing course of action for me. The white skirt collapsing into a blend of dim printed suits is a metaphor for accepting vulnerability and shifting on. My grandmother’s radiograph became a few various prints, creating her a part of my style and design journey.

The most gorgeous thing about designing this selection is that it’s serves as self-reflection. I conquered my fears throughout the pandemic and grew with the enhancement of this selection.

I’m not fearful to present my vulnerability and share my tale with absolutely everyone. I have picked to embrace my trauma.

Do you assume the intersection of human emotion and trend provides far more inventive types than superficial developments? How can checking out feelings as a result of fashion lead to additional meaningful styles? 

Styles that produce style by emotions and stories will resonate with people. If you’re touched by your possess design, individuals will be touched by your do the job. We just cannot underestimate people’s intimate views.

My individual stories and ordeals are my inspiration. I’m a storyteller. I’m keen to share my stories and my scars. The pandemic has introduced us all experience to encounter with our vulnerability as it has touched every component of our life. I’ve expert the deepest feeling of vulnerability.

Customers are more very likely to keep on to clothes that have sentimental benefit or that they have an psychological attachment to. Do you believe this realization could transfer the market away from speedy trend and towards far more meaningful use?

I truly think in that.

If a piece of clothes evokes excellent emotions and reminiscences, which a single is additional very likely to be bought than a trendy piece? This is why there is generally a current market for bespoke and handmade items. The artisan has produced it themselves and has experienced a journey with the garment or product or service – a journey that speaks to the consumer on a much more intimate stage. That creates a bond.

Clothing will take us on an psychological journey. Is the cliché “wearing your coronary heart on your sleeve” however applicable in a culture where social media drives trend traits?

The most vital matter is to remain true to you and categorical that in the ideal way. There’s way too substantially advertising that panders to sentimental values to get the audience’s notice, but the truth is: if you are genuine, persons can see that and they can resonate with it.

When we’re willing to share our weaknesses and even make them modern, it makes a more robust bond with our viewers and provides significant and good vitality to modern society.

Your earlier collections targeted on emotionally charged historic occasions, specially the Nan King War of 1937. Do you approach to revisit this topic in foreseeable future collections?

I’m really interested in historical motifs and concentrate on gatherings like the Nanjing Massacre. I’m willing to take a look at other historic functions with controversial themes, these types of as Taiwan Transitional Justice. Despite the fact that these motifs are heavy, I believe they elevate awareness of anti-war and humanity.

I look at trend structure as a medium of transmission and want to convey contemporary social problems to make individuals believe in another way. My past collection was about anti-war. I desired to make persons think about the paradoxical aspects of war and how we need to empathize with other individuals, regard them and benefit peace.

I plan to check out contemporary challenges – perhaps the destructive results of technological innovation, weather transform, or the modern day plagues of hypochondria and stress. Do individuals reside more healthy and happier lives when capitalism is rampant? The ambivalence concerning the two sides deserves even more exploration.

I strive to infuse my patterns with deeper cultural wondering. The future collection will show my uniqueness as a designer and make people imagine about modern problems.

Chen Defines Her Design DNA

Every single designer has their hallmark. Chen is defining her layout DNA with a aim on humanity and emotion at the forefront. This arrives at a time when society and the trend field are experiencing new problems – from sustainability to moral generation to addressing socio-financial issues.

Kai Ting Chen is a designer for our instances, confronting us with the vulnerability of our humanity.

Writer: AINE LAGAN

Similar