Borne, during the pandemic, emerging designer Claudia Wang’s eponymous label has quickly become known for an approach to design which challenges the preconceived norms of symmetry and gender through its use of free-flowing silhouettes which imbue her creations with a wholly genderless aesthetic.
Using the concept of a ‘wrinkle’ throughout her designs, her AW22 collection comes in high saturation, vibrant colour and an abstract painterly palette. Entitled “Fairy Land”, the collection is further defined by the designer’s meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship. These are qualities enhanced by Claudia’s love of the technological, which was honed during her time as a student at Taipei University of Technology.
This manifests itself through her collaboration with Taiwan knitting factory Lufeng Xingye and the use of highly innovative two-way pattern designs and three-dimensional knitting materials.
We were lucky enough to be invited to view the collection during London Fashion Week at a digital event named “Satisfactory”, which was staged in the Victorian splendour of Southwark’s Hop Exchange. A wholly immersive experience with multi-dimensional technologies visualizing and projecting surreal creatures and the beautiful landscapes of Taiwan.
After the Fashion Week dust had settled, we had the pleasure of asking Claudia about this latest collection, the technological innovations which inform the design process, her childhood inspirations, and future aspirations.
Credits:
Producing and Digital team: Digital Domain, Claudia Wang, Teresa Teng Foundation
Production company: Digital Domain
Congratulations on your latest collection, which was stunning, innovative, and very wearable. You started your brand in 2020 and formally established Claudia Wang as a design company in 2021. What challenges did you face starting a brand during the pandemic, and has it taught you anything you will take forward in your work?
I was graduating when covid happened, so it was hard at first to know what the future of fashion was. But with confidence and drive to produce creative outcomes – I managed to create and establish Claudia Wang.
You grew up in a family full of artists. Was there anyone who inspired your journey towards fashion, and why?
My mother is a fashion designer, and my father is an abstract artist; they are the people who deeply inspired me to go into fashion. On the other hand, since I was a child, I have always loved to dress up and draw. So, for me, this is a natural path.
For AW22, you chose to blend the past and the future with traditional plaids and urban graffiti, a virtual and physical show and designs that can be worn by both genders, is there an intentional duality to your work, or is this just something that has happened organically?
It happened quite naturally for me. I wanted to create clothing for all genders to enjoy since my generation is very open and flexible in choosing what represents us!
Your collection comes in an explosion of colour and pattern. Does that bright aesthetic reflect our mood in our return to normality, or was there something else that inspired the choice of the palette? How do you want someone who wears Claudia Wang to feel in your clothes?
Because our world is facing such horror, wars and illnesses, I wanted to use rich and imaginative colours as well as prints to bring a sense of happiness. I want my customers to feel confident and happy with a knowing smile.
The collection featured the collective textile work of Taiwan knitting factory Lufeng Xingye, presenting a two-way pattern design and three-dimensional knitting materials. Can you tell us more about these techniques and why you wanted to adopt them for this collection?
I am always looking to find a way to present patterns other than digital printing. In the past, I have tried using jacquards. This time, with the help of the mill, we were able to utilize a special three-dimensional weaving technology which created a fabric. When viewed from a distance, the pattern can be seen in the light and shadow, and it changes when viewed from a perspective. I also looked at creating different variations of patterns to add interest to styles and materials.
Your work is possible by collaborating with artists and creators in all spheres. How important is it for you to create as part of a team, and does working with these other disciplines change how you think about designing your clothes?
For me, working with artists from different fields is a very important part of the creative process, and I find it extremely stimulating for myself creatively. In the process, I have learned to be more rational. Specifically for Taipei Fashion Week, working with talents in the field of virtual technology has further enabled my understanding of the digital production processes. Therefore, I also tried to apply a more rational approach to my clothing production process, such as applying digital 3D rendering at the start of my design process to reduce waste created during clothes manufacturing.
You design your clothes to be sustainable, lasting pieces. What is the key to designing a collection with longevity?
I think that the classic pattern does not go out of fashion. During my creative process, I tried to inject the classic plaid pattern with new inspiration and references, so it is visually engaging. Most of the style’s shapes are classic coats, windbreakers, wide unisex pants, and puff sleeves. Simple styles can be worn by both men and women. For me, such classic design choices are also sustainable concepts. Of course, the materials are also recycled; even if the clothing is recycled, it can be decomposed.
You were selected to show your collection at London fashion week; how important as a designer do you think it is to make your clothes translatable across continents, and how do you strive to achieve this?
Claudia – Personally, I do not try to label my work; I am proud of being Taiwanese, but I think creativity really has no boundaries. For our brand, the visual colours and the fantasy print style are important features that we think can break through the cultural barrier. Who doesn’t love colours!! I believe virtual clothing will also be the thing that brings the world closer in the future.
You have been recognized by Vogue international and Vogue Taiwan – how does it feel to receive accolades from the highest levels of fashion at such an early stage in your brand’s journey?
It’s amazing, but I didn’t think too much about it. I am just very grateful for these recognitions, and it encourages me to produce more work and work harder.
You have a Master of Interactive Design from the Taipei University of Technology, which you used to great effect as a backdrop to your show. Where did this interest in virtual reality begin, and do you think virtual shows are the future of fashion week, or is it integral to continue to show clothes in a physical format too?
Before the official establishment of the brand, I had the opportunity to participate in the VR tech camp of Taiwanese VR designer Hsin-Chien Huang, which opened my eyes to the world of virtual clothing technology. I think virtual clothing will become a more popular trend with time. Physical clothing is still an indispensable way of living, but I think the two will slowly complement each other.
Your collection utilized new technology featuring NFT cryptographic assets. How important is it for you to continually innovate, and what are your hopes for the future of your brand?
Innovation is something that we are continually focusing on and putting effort into. For our brand, we hope that it is not just physical clothing but also aesthetic design in more fields, through virtual clothing, with a goal of being known as an innovative brand internationally.
Claudia Wang is a designer who effortlessly marries the traditional with the technological to create pieces which are imbued with classic longevity, but which are also very much for today.
Claudia looks to her cultural origins and Taiwanese regional folklore to inform her work while being wholly inculcated with the innovations of 21st-century life, looking to virtual reality and crypto graphics as means to highlight her stunning creations.
While her London Fashion Week presentation bore the self-effacing title “Satisfactory”, to describe this gorgeous assemblage of pieces thus would be the ultimate understatement. Claudia’s AW 22 collection is a testament to the maturity and creativity of an emerging designer who has already been recognized by Vogue International and Vogue Taiwan. A designer whose brand DNA is also infused with an ethical intentionality that places sustainability at the core of everything she does.
We have been mesmerized by Claudia Wang’s creations and hope you will be too.
Many thanks to Claudia for taking the time to talk to us and give us such a fascinating insight into the brand; and to our friends at Dyelog for helping arrange it all.
You can connect with the brand via their website and Instagram
Interview by Brian James and Leigh Maynard