fashion designers—Taiwan

Throughout the twentieth century, Taiwanese fashion had been heavily dominated by US and Japanese imports and domestic copies. Two designers, Lu Fong-chih and Wang Chen Tsai-hsieh, began to make an impact following the establishment of their own labels in 1978 and 1982 respectively; however, it was not until the 1990s that young local designers have become more prominent due, in part, to the promotional work of the Taiwan Taipei Fashion Designers’ Association.

Carole Chang (Chang Yi-ping) was born in 1969 and studied fashion at the École Bellecour Supemod in Lyon, France, from 1990 to 1992. Soon after her return to Taiwan she established her own label catering for women in their twenties and thirties, which were sold in her boutique, Hot Ice. A typical outfit emphasizes masculine lines through the use of straight-leg trousers and boldly patterned shirts, with female elements added in the form of a short overskirt. Chang has been outspoken in her attempts to combat the over-reliance on Western designer labels and has created garments that have a modern and individual feel.

Stephane Dou Teng-hwang (b. 1969), a 1991 graduate of fashion design and winner of the Taiwan Smirnoff Fashion Award, set up his own label, ‘Stephane Dou’, in 1996. Like many of his counterparts in Hong Kong and the mainland, Dou has consciously attempted to create garments that are distinctly local but take more modern elements from Western cutting-edge design. In collaboration with his partner Chang Lee Yu-gin and the Ta Ching Hwa Enterprise Company, a Taiwanese textile manufacturer, his collection at the Autumn—Winter 1996–7 Textile Design Show saw striking mix-and-match layered tops and skirts in hot pink, red and orange. Blocks of monochromatic colours are certainly a theme in his designs. More recent collections have ranged from utilitarian-style clothing in contrasting black, grey and white for both men and women, to more fitted feminine styles in peach, blue and burgundy.

Hu Ya-chuan (b. 1965) studied first in Taiwan and then at the Parsons School of Design in New York. Her own label was established in 1993 and this was followed shortly after with the opening of a boutique in the capital. Her collections have included distinctive cropped T-shirts combined with flowing ankle-length dresses in rich velvets, fusing Eastern and Western elements with the aim of attracting both those who buy international designer labels and those who are less fashion conscious.

Tim Yip would not claim to be a fashion designer as most of his work to date has been in the entertainment business dressing film and stage actors and pop stars, such as Wu Pai; however, his clothing designs have become highly influential in Asia. His career began in fashion photography and then he progressed into theatre and film costume design. Yip rocketed to international fame in 2001 with his Oscar-winning designs for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (see Lee, Ang) and has since made attempts to revitalize indigenous Taiwanese wear in an industry that has been heavily influenced by international fashions.

Further reading

Roberts, C. (1997). Evolution and Revolution: Chinese Dress 1700s-1990s. Sydney: Powerhouse Publishing, 95–7.

SARAH DAUNCEY