The Bite Magazine - Spring 2019 - Issue 24

bite catwalk FJU Talents H ailing fromTaiwan, FJUTalents was a part of the off-schedule line-up presented by Fashion Scout. FJU stands for Fu Jen Catholic University, one of the leading Fashion and Textiles institutes which was set up to celebrate the work of the university’s extremely talented alumni. It brought the collections of three Taiwanese designers to London FashionWeek as a way of showing the world the talent that is nurtured by the institute’s celebrated Textiles and Clothing department.The selected three were put on a 3-month mentorship program and the capsule collection pre- sented were the outcome of this intense program.The three finalists all showcased unique and conceptual collections rich with influence and individuality. Min Jo Hsieh Graduating from FJU in 2017, Min Jo Hsieh was selected for her use of strong imagery. Her use of combining social issues and art led to her SS19 collection being inspired by scavengers in her hometown Taipei,Taiwan. Recycled materials such as cartons, newspapers and plastic bags were translated into bright graphic prints that really stood out on the catwalk, with bright red and pops of other primary colours beautiful to see.The boxy silhouettes were reminiscent of her references, wrinkles were purposefully added as a nod to her inspiration and drawstrings added another detail. Min Jo referred to challenging the notions of traditional beauty, masking standardised beauty with clothes inspired by the opposite. Kai Ting Chen A complete contrast to the other designers and the only one to present a menswear collection Kai Ting Chen’s collection was dark and moody. Inspired by the military struggle shown in the film City of Life and Death, she deconstructed military uniforms and reimagined these into cloak-like garments that shrouded the models. There was wistfulness to the collection which felt much thought provoking. Kai Ting Chen wanted to express an important message through her collection. Featuring newspaper prints from the war in Nan-King in 1937, she posed a reminder that “the cruelty of war and treasure of peace” is a value that should be present in more of mankind. It's refreshing to see young designers using their platform as a place for protest and channelling thought provoking messages, no matter how subtle. Yi HsuanWang An architectural designer inspired by his heritage and its traditional temple culture,Yi HsuanWang explored modernism and tradition, juxtaposing elements through inspiration and technique that resulted in a remarkable collection of structural 3D garments.With an almost futuristic style, the simple colour palette of red and white was refreshing and bold. Citing his main inspiration as Taiwan’s ‘Ba Jia Jiang’, a facial totem formation that is part of Taiwan’s famous parades, the oversized garments had many elements. Reminiscent of origami coats, they were wide at the top and fitted at the bottom, while dresses had extended panels that felt very architectural and elegant.Whilst oversized, this somewhat boxy collec- tion still felt very flattering, very elegant and very wearable. A chic futuristic style that was very refreshing to see. http://fashionscout.co.uk/fu-jen Jo Hsieh