mobanmarketGraduate Fashion Week
is an important showcase for graduating fashion designers as it is the
first chance press, buyers and industry experts can see their work, which
can lead to interviews, jobs as well as for the lucky few awards and
recognition.
This GFW saw more than 40 universities and over 1,000 promising
graduates showcase their work and FashionUnited were on hand to find the
very best of the next generation of fashion designers you need to watch,
and next up in our graduate profile series is winner of the WSA Fashion
Direction Award, Odella Yue.
Her fascination in combining unconventional colours and textures
resulted in ‘Galaxy Racer Club’ a nostalgic collection inspired by Studio
54 and arcade games from the 1970’s and it certainly stood out on the
catwalk. FashionUnited sat down with the promising designer to discuss her
collection, why she wanted to study fashion, as well as which designers
inspire her.
What attracted you to a career in fashion?
For me fashion design is not only a career choice, but a passion, a way
of life and I always know that design is what I want. I have always been
the weird child who likes creating new things and dressing up all the time,
study fashion gives me the freedom to be myself and release my creativity.
My collection is purely an expression of my identity; at this stage of my
life all I wish to achieve is to fully express my creativity without limit
myself. Fashion is such a powerful tool to highlight statements and to
communicate with people, so I want deliver my craziest idea and fantasy to
my audience and provide them something unique and unexpected.
Tell us about your graduating collection – what was the inspiration
behind it?
My final collection is ‘Galaxy Racer Club’ and I wanted my collection to
be a nostalgia bomb. I was inspired by Studio 54 and combined it with the
colourful arcade games of the 1970’s to create an interesting collision. My
friends and I use to sneak out of the house during the night and play games
at the local Arcade in China when I was little and it was such exciting and
fun experience. Since then I have always been a fan of games and
adventurous activities and they are often my design inspirations as well. I
am fascinated about the mixing of colour, texture, different mediums and
experimentation with unconventional materials.
What are the signature piece/pieces?
My graduate collection features a wide range of colours and textures, the
signature piece is probably my Galaxy Racer Coat with the red racing
helmet. The oversized coat is made of silver textural fabric and waterproof
satin, with sequin and print detail at back. The back detail of the coat is
really fun and colourful; the print is inspired by modern pop art
and psychedelic art. The same print has been featured on other jackets and
bags as well.
I like to use different silhouette to exaggerate body shape and
proportion, oversized shoulders, sleeves and coat normally create strong
and masculine visual impression but with appropriate adjustment they can
also bring the contrasting fragility of the female body.
Did you have a specific audience in mind when designing your final
collection? Who is your target customer?
To me both fashion and games have unique characteristics and provide
escape from reality for the audience. By combining them I want to create
the ideal fantasy world where the monstrous beauty and adventurous spirit
are celebrated. I am fascinated about the mixing colours, texture,
different mediums and experimentation with unconventional materials.
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I love Grace Jones, she is my idol. There are so many amazing
characteristics in her – passionate, beautiful and adventurous. I wish
people to dress up more, and my target customer group is people who love to
experience new things, who like to break rules and adventurous in
spirit.
What made you choose to study at WSA?
WSA is a real cool place to study, students all have access to 3D
printer, laser cutter, Mimaki printer as well as other super useful
equipment. Tutors are friendly and I had great fun with other talented
students during my study.
As well as university, have you completed any other work
experience?
One of the most interesting work experience was during the summer of
2014, I had my internship in By Walid Studio in London, a couture brand
with an environmental friendly design concept, where I developed a deeper
understanding of real operation of the business side of fashion, its
technical procedures and the concept of ethical fashion.
What do you plan to do now that you’ve graduated? What are your
plans for your career in the future?
After I graduate, I want to interact with designers from a wide set of
creative disciplines, and develop designing ideas and technical skills from
different perspectives.
Where do you hope to see yourself/your label in five years time?
Putting my design into production and establishing my own brand has
always been my goal, I want to contribute to the world of talent and
imagination where anything is possible.
What was your Graduate Fashion Week/catwalk experience like?
My collection is incredibly fun, all garments are comfortable to wear
and the colour palette is very bright and eye catching. I used 170 meters
of binding in my whole collection, which is mad! I’m most happy of the fact
that many viewers can relate with my collection, it reminded them about
their childhood memories and it created the interesting nostalgic and
futuristic impact on the viewers.
Backstage, all the models had a great time taking selfies in my garments
with matching helmets, and One guest even told me that my collection made
her wanted to dance. There is nothing more fun than to create something
that makes people happy, my design process is a research of joy, and I am
thrilled that I can transform my passion into something different, new and
visually exciting. Seeing your own work in the studio is nothing like
watching the model walk down the catwalk in your design, it is a whole new
experience for me and it was amazing. There were a lot of panic moments and
you have to be very organised to be able to put on a good show. It was a
valuable experience.
What designers/labels do you most admire? Who would you love to
work or collaborate with?
Thierry Mugler and Gareth Pugh are my heroes, in their understanding
fashion is more than just decorating bodies but it also armours it.
They introduced an awareness of the fragilities of the human body while
they created hybrids of natural and artificial. Their work has opened my
eye and inspired me to design something more bold and interesting and I
would love to work or collaborate with them!
Images: Odella Yue