10 Minutes With…Fashion Fringe-Winning Designer Haizhen Wang
Haizhen Wang (Image: My Soul is Raining Clothes)
Winner of the prestigious 2012 Fashion Fringe and — like fellow designers Vega Zaishi Wang, Yang Du and Uma Wang – a graduate of Central Saint Martins, Dalian-born, London-based fashion designer Haizhen Wang recently invited Jing Daily contributor Alessa Beatriz to preview his newest collection and get up and personal with the designer himself.
Jing Daily (JD): Congratulations are in order. How does it feel to be the center of attention in the fashion industry?
Haizhen Wang (HW): Thank you. It has been a couple of weeks now since I won and [was] catapulted into the spotlight, so now I am planning what to do next.
Winning is indescribable really, but it's such a fantastic feeling, the greatest moment, and this is just the starting point. This is such a great opportunity to show my work and what I have to offer. Without this award I wouldn't have had such a high platform to showcase my work, so it's just wonderful.
Look from Haizhen Wang's Fashion Fringe show
JD: What did it mean to you to win such a prestigious award?
HW: Means so much. First of all, business-wise the award had such an impact, to be working with The Centre for Fashion Enterprise (CFE) for six month of sponsorship and mentoring is just invaluable. The award has allowed me to have a creative outlet to such a wide audience, and doing things like catwalk presentations is astounding.
JD: Talk about the new collection and the inspiration behind the designs that got you into this position.
HW: The starting point was architecture. The Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava was the first thought at the beginning. Then working with that concept, my surroundings and environment led me to give touches of Samurai detailing. I have a couple of pieces that are still in America that I wanted to show you, which I can't today unfortunately. But they show the armor elements and samurai embroidery in my pieces that I wanted to convey. I focus on the woman's contour and silhouette because, although I have masculine tailoring, the pieces are feminine. Injecting [the] strength of armor onto a woman's body.
JD: Are you considering dabbling in menswear?
HW: It is something I am certainly thinking about and wouldn't rule out. At the moment I am focusing on womenswear, but when the right team and time come together, I absolutely will. In fact I am already thinking of doing a few pieces for men, but the inspiration and right concept haven't hit me yet.
JD: Your current collection is award-winning and exceptional. For the next collection will it be fresh new concept or will it evolve from this one?
HW: Certainly not a new concept. The collection at the moment is strong enough to go back to and develop from. There are a few garments that still have more of a story left in them that I can express in a new collection.
I have received a great response from press and buyers, so I wouldn't alienate what I have achieved and I hope to continue to strengthen everything Haizhen Wang stands for.
JD: What type of person embodies your collection?
HW: People who have sense of humor. A quality of life – not necessarily quality in finical terms, but the essence of Haizhen Wang is a feminine woman with a strong sense of creativity and style.
Haizhen Wang S/S 2013 (Image: Alessa Beatriz)
Haizhen Wang S/S 2013 (Image: Alessa Beatriz)
Haizhen Wang S/S 2013 (Image: Alessa Beatriz)
Haizhen Wang S/S 2013 (Image: Alessa Beatriz)
Haizhen Wang S/S 2013 (Image: Alessa Beatriz)
Haizhen Wang (Image: Alessa Beatriz)
Alessa Beatriz is a London-based Economics graduate and independent journalist from Spain. In addition to being the UK correspondent for AnyWearStyle.com, Beatriz is the blogger behind VogueAlchemist.com, specializing in emerging talent in the fashion and arts industries.
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