Two fingers Du a Y(ang)!
SUPERSWEET is very excited because budding fashion designer Yang Du promises to lead us through her wardrobe of fun. For your information, Du’s collections are bright enough to burn retinas and so cheerful they could turn anyone's frown upside down.
SS: We’ve heard you like travelling?
Yang: Yes, it’s how I become inspired. It’s about what I see, what I get out of it and how I translate my experience into different things. It can be anything. It's to do with something that comes from real life.
Still, travelling is a bit of risk taking. When I went to Egypt, I was very excited, though it was extremely hot and there’s nothing to be found. I thought to myself, “What am I doing here?” Then, I looked around. There are hawkers taking pride in selling coca cola, loads of deformed statues, cactuses and zebras! In no time, I found myself busy taking pictures, making notes and collage. My sketchbook became my travel diary.
SS: From what we see here, you’ve got a thing for animal, haven’t you?
Yang: Yes, there are always a lot of animals involved in my collections. Look at the zebra here. Everybody loves zebras but they also think that zebras are violent as well. Later on I went to the local butcher’s. It is a quite scary place but at the same it's very interesting. Then, I put all my references back together. That’s how I came up with this: the Egyptian Coca Cola with the animals drinking it. Also, I added elements of the meat I saw at the butchers.
Take these knitted pouches. They are my favourites. There’re Coca Cola cans in the inside the bag. The hooks from which the bags are hanging are from the butcher’s. The mouth on the inside of the bag is my label. There are cactus hats, too. There's always a lot going on. The things look like they don't belong to each other, but in fact, it is the way we live life. People often say I should get Coca Cola to sponsor me!
For my next collection, I went to Ecuador. I stayed in the rainforest for a couple of days and spent a lot of time with children doing drawings with them. They live in quite poor conditions. Before I left, I gave them all my pens. It was nice for them to have pens so that they can draw. Also, they all wear oversized jumpers that are left behind by the tourists. That became my starting point.
SS: Did you come across any cool animals?
Yang: Yes, one character I picked up was the blue-footed booby. It only lives in Ecuador. I also saw some women carrying live chickens. They are very proud of them. You know, everyone hangs around at market, and since I was there for eighteen days, I started to recognize faces. People go there to do their shopping. They bring pigs and everything. The pigs are so adorable and tiny! But, they are so aggressive and pull and tug. The women holding them on the leash must be very strong. Before I left, I bought some animal-printed socks. They eventually became part of my collection, the one I showed in the ON/OFF tent last September.
SS: Was that your first catwalk collection?
Yang: Yeah, my first proper catwalk show. I had a great time and very good response. But, some of the clothes from the collection 'Falling in Love is a Risk’ aren’t here. Lady Gaga was borrowing them for a music video in New York. I hope they eventually used the clothes. That’d be really good press.
SS: Where do you sell your collection?
Yang: My clothes are custom-made at the moment. I want to recreate my travel experience into the fabric. This one is the “meat” piece. I used fake fur, which I think the best way to present the meat aspect without being too literal. In a way you can't really tell what it is. They’re all hand-knitted taking weeks to finish.
SS: Are you looking to further expand your production?
Yang: Tesco Clothing sponsored me for the show so I might build up a working relationship with them.
SS: Time to get personal. What's your favourite colour?
Yang: Pink! Definitely. My mom always dressed me in pink when I was little. I didn't like it then, but later, I realized that it's the best colour for me. She knitted me knitted jumpers for me, all in different kinds of pink. That's where I learned to knit.
SS: If Mr. Universe said you could morph into any animal what would it be?
Yang: Gosh! I was born in the horse year so I guess I'd be a horse. A white one or a pink one!
SS: Mr. Universe snaps his fingers and produces a big puff of rainbow smoke out of which Franco Moschino emerges carrying a bouquet of singing flowers for you. He's back to life for just a day. What do you do?
Yang: Aww, that'd amazing. I would want to take over his fashion house! He was apparently really funny, intelligent. I just wish to be with him for a day to get inspired. He's guided me a lot through my studies. He has been a huge inspiration for me. I'd like to have a good chat with him, have a cup of tea and meet as friends.
SS: What else do you do for fun?
Yang: I love films. I used to go to the cinema three times a week. It really makes me happy. When you are at the cinema, you feel like you are completely in the film and you become part of the character on the screen. I get a lot of inspiration from that. Other things I love to do are travelling, painting, drawing and spending time with children - giving love, you know, and getting a response from people who love my stuff.
SS: Any last words?
Yang: You really have to trust yourself and love what you do enough to make it happen. Everything in life is a risk, isn't it? It is whether you love something enough to make it happen. Eventually, “Falling in Love is a Risk” became my logo.
Words: Grashina Gablemann
Photograpahy: Bella Howard (main picture) and Emli Bendixen