by Nkem Emefiele
Taipei Fashion Week occurred on the 25th April with an aim of exhibiting all things “sport and fashion.”
With the theme ‘Fully Equipped, Ready to Go’, Taipei Fashion Week featured several renowned brands, such as Justin XX, Claudia Wang and UUIN.
Through the theme, various fashion designers were able to display the “fusion of fashion and athleticism” by experimenting with different fabrics, colours, and shapes.
Justin XX is known for being a brand that blends streetwear and Eastern art. Inspired by the motto "Taiwan Dreams, Taiwan Strength," the latest collection draws from the original colours of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee's emblem. The designs are categorised into four major themes: "Mountain," "Sea," "City," and "Plains," each transformed into unique garment patterns and prints.
As a homage to the grandeur of the Paris Olympics, Yuwing also translated artist Jiang Xian-Er’s work "Taiwan Mountains" into exquisite fabric prints, bringing a touch of Taiwanese artistry to the international stage.
My favourite look from Justin XX consisted of an incredible circular shape, with a colour palette was similar to that of delftware pottery that provided a vintage vibe, reminiscent of the late 17th, 18th, and early 19th century.
Claudia Wang is recognised for the addition of virtual technology within her clothing design with the incorporation of sustainability within her various garments.
My favourite look of the whole week was their two piece. This garment incorporated levels and made the attire playful, picking ‘fun’ colours such as a soft yellow and a deep blue, finished off with white to bring it together.
The showcased collection from UUIN, an underground fashion designer who has recurring motifs of flexibility within their garments, was made up of skirts, dresses, and wide trousers.
Colours played an important role throughout Taipei Fashion Week, showcased especially by Story Wear. With their collection designed by Chen Guanbai, an innovative fashion designer, they took on Taiwan's aim to have increased sustainability within the fashion movement.
A favourite from the collection was a multilayered outfit, consisting of a sleeveless blazer with hues of red, blue and white with those same colours duplicated on the zip up underneath and finished with a plain white scarf, highlighted this mix of colourful and athletic fashion.
Furthermore, the addition of shape and unique fabrics across Taipei Fashion Week implemented a unique interpretation of the theme and aim, seen in the presented work of PCES, who combined the efforts of three designers: Li Yuqi, Bruno Chung, and Chang Zhihong.
Each included sustainable yet functional fabrics into their meticulously structured garments that told a story of the olympics and its multifaceted heritage.
In addition, several of their pieces for this show consisted of beautiful ruched chest lines of scrunched up fabric amongst areas of the skirts and shirts. This added depth and differentiated their designs.
Finally, I absolutely adored WooLeeX x Converse's approach to the theme. Although it seemed out of place with a more business-like vibe than sporty, it still came out incredible through vibrant pinks paired with white accents throughout the collection.
The white accents, consisting of flowers and the brand name in large print, give the design luxurious elevation.
Overall Taipei Fashion Week was a success, implementing excitement and love for the upcoming Olympics season through various takes on their theme of ‘fully equipped, ready to go.’
Edited by Emily Duff