By Brian James
APUJAN is a London based label that fuses fiction inspired designs with unique knitwear techniques to produce collections where the surreal meets the real and timeless silhouettes are imbued with a contemporary twist.
Blending Eastern and Western influences to create garments which to date have beautifully emphasized the female form, A/W 23s stellar collection “The Other End of Nowhere” sees designer Apu Jan diversifying into menswear with the same signature aplomb that he brings to his iconic womenswear.
As befits a designer who has embraced the digital space with consummate creativity the fashion film which premiered this collection at London Fashion Week was a work of breath-taking cinematography. One which would have stood alone as an art film, but which was achingly appropriate in its telling of the influences which inspired this A/W 23 collection.
With the return of a post-pandemic physical LFW schedule there is a concern that the offerings of those who continue to show digitally might be overlooked in the fashion week madness that sees industry insiders run from live show to live show. It’s testament to the high regard that APUJAN is held within the fashion community that so many of those insiders take pause from the fashion week merry-go-round to specifically stop and watch the fantastical films which showcase his fabulous creations.
I caught up with Apu to ask him about his inspirations and influences, the creative journey which took “The Other Side of Nowhere” from concept to digital runway, and his goals and aspirations for the future.
Congratulations on your A/W23 collection “The Other End of Nowhere” which marks the brand’s 10th anniversary and 20th collection. What do you think the key to your continued success and longevity in the industry is?
We didn’t expect that it would be the twentieth series. It feels like the first series didn’t happen a long time ago. Twenty collections are still small and new for a clothing brand. But we don’t have time to think too much, just keep adjusting, just try to use different ways and continue to tell our stories with our clothes.
What inspired the collection and what message do you want its very evocative title “The Other End of Nowhere” to convey?
On the one hand, it echoes the fantasy oriental classic literature Journey to the West, and on the other hand, it also echoes our journey from the East to the West. This is like a road trip about fashion, showing that no matter how far the geographical distance is, the distance between hearts is the furthest.
I loved the eclectic mix of textures and fabric, the prints and jacquard patterns, and a colour palette in which orange and blue were to the fore. How important as a designer is it that this rich array of fabrics and colour so accurately reflected the story that you wanted to tell?
I started by learning textiles. Except for the theme story of our clothing, I can say that all the texture, materials and changes start from the development of fabrics and yarns. Whether weaving or knitting, we first develop experimental fabrics and the way of weaving before turning them into garments.
This season saw you introduce elements such as metal buckles, labels and other fine details. How crucial to you is it to retain the very distinctive and beloved APUJAN brand identity but to also continually evolve as a designer?
Clothing is a collection of details. In addition to changes in styles and materials, I am always researching better auxiliary materials. I hope that the person who wears our clothing can experience more details and more texture upgrades. As time progresses, we also have more and more opportunities to accumulate these details.
I also loved the inclusion of menswear which bore that APUJAN label. Is menswear something that you would like to explore to a greater degree in future collections?
Yes, I think for sure. I’ve been thinking about creating menswear for a long time. We have been engaged in the production of women’s clothing. Starting from the past few seasons, more men’s clothing has been added, and more items have been accumulated up to now, and creating an independent men’s clothing series will also be the goal.
How did this season’s collaboration with New Balance come about and what is it about their aesthetic that attracted you to working with them?
I had been contacted with New Balance’s agent and had been discussing the possibility of cooperation, discussing what type of shoes we can use in fashion shows or related cooperations. I have always liked the possibility of combining dresses and sneakers, and I also think this combination is a modern trend. I learned that NB has more fashion plans, and I am honored to be able to move in this direction together.
How do you want the person who wears APUJAN to feel about themselves and the world around them when they wear one of your creations?
I hope that instead of storing this piece of clothing in the closet as a souvenir, they can wear it to more places, participate in more adventures, let the clothes wear out, let the clothes become a part of themselves, and start their own fantasy journey.
The collection draws on themes from the classic novel “Journey to the West”. How has your journey as a designer been informed by your heritage and culture and what influences have you drawn from Western culture?
I think in modern society, all learning is a combination of different cultures of the East and the West, whether it is clothing or any form of creation, even novels. You can also see that we have various novels or literary works in Europe, America, and Asia in the brand’s reference list.
You have fully embraced the medium of fashion film and the video which showcases this latest collection has a standalone cinematic quality to it. Is film now your preferred method of presenting your collections and do you envisage a time when you will return to LFW with a physical runway show?
Yes, we are already preparing. The two communicate in different ways and tell different stories. We like both, but it is time to start planning new physical activities.
As the brand enters its second decade what are your goals and aspirations for the rest of 2023 and longer term?
We are about to open a physical concept store in Taiwan. Although this is not our first store, it is the first store in our hometown, which is very meaningful to us. We have also started to travel between cities as before, and have started to cooperate with some sports and fashion in the past two years, including designing clothes for baseball and basketball teams. These cases are different from our main line of business, but they also echo each other.
APUJAN is a label that effortlessly marries East with West, the traditional with the contemporary and in this latest collection womenswear with menswear. It’s a landmark collection which signposts the brand’s 10th anniversary and 20th collection. A landmark that sees the brand not only diversifying into menswear but also into new and mouthwatering collaborations.
While he may have entitled his A/W 23 collection “The Other End of Nowhere” Apu Jan is a designer who is definitely taking us somewhere, somewhere very exciting. We look forward to following him and his eponymous label as they embark on their second decade.
Many thanks to Apu for taking the time to speak to Flanelle magazine and to Christabel and the team at Black PR for all their help.
You can connect with the brand here https://www.apujan.com/ and on IG here https://www.instagram.com/apujan/?hl=en
