We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Tingyu Hu about their original and creative Womenswear design work. Tingyu Hu is an award-winning fashion designer, that makes our world a better place with their original womenswear works.
Tingyu Hu ("TH") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Labyrinthine Journey of a Ballerina Womenswear. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
TH : Giorgio De Chirico, 'Blood of a Poet' and classical ballet are the three major inspirations. By observing works by De Chirico, I capture the contrast of brightness and shadow, enormous environment and tiny figures, and unlimited extension of the space even she becomes a part of the painting. 'Blood of a Poet' emphasizes the theme of 'labyrinthine'. The dreamlike quirkiness of the movie inspires me to replace the main character with a ballerina. Everything in this project is the reflection of my vision.
TH : To avoid the literal interpretation or similar techniques of 1930s surrealism fashion, I edit down ideas that are too superficial or easy to look at and balance the fine art side and the apparel side. In this project, I experiment with a lot of draping of asymmetrical shapes and tests of fabric to figure out the best choice for a certain silhouette.
TH : De Chirico has been one of my favorite artists since the first time I saw his work in a book during high school, his unique style with the contrast between enormous space and tiny figures haunts my brain. And when I was watching 'The Red Shoes', the 'damsel in distress' vibe gives me the inspiration that I want to put the ballerina figure into the enormous space. The eerie atmosphere and the pure beauty create an interesting chemical, and these visions keep stuck in my mind that I need to bring it to the real world.
TH : As I mentioned, I looked up many 1930s surrealism fashions by Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, and Mugler's works in the 80s and 90s. They are straightforward and relatively literal speaking of the idea of surrealism. But I want to do something more like a ready-to-wear piece, so I try to avoid making it too 'literal'. I also researched many surrealism photos of 1930s and realized the dramatic lighting and styling ideas. These influenced me a lot when I am preparing for the photoshoot.
TH : Standing in front of 'The Melancholy of Departure' by De Chirico at MOMA and wondering what does it look like when is a ballerina trying to escape from De Chirico's paintings? And thinking of how is it possible to add multiple dimensions to garments, like the dream world in 'Blood of a Poet'? By analyzing the geometrical elements in De Chirico's paintings and reading his artist theory, with the whimsical feeling, the little sculpture on the arm, and the contrast between the softness of pale pink and lined silhouette, my narrative is presented through every detail.
TH : I focus on how dimensional a garment could be while keeping the balance of movement and abstraction. I use bonings to construct a 3D illusion and choose transparent fabric to increase the layers of the garment so that emphasizes the concept of 'dimension';, such as double knit layering, tulle over canvas, and beige lace over pink cotton sateen. About the techniques, crafts are always a major style so I combine silkscreens and hand-embroidery to add some raw and playful feel to make the contrast with the strict color palette. There is a piece of a canvas short skirt, when you look at it on the profile, there is a 3D triangle shape, and on the skirt, it is a 12-hour hand embroidery of all the embellishments, which is one of my favorite in this collection.
TH : My friend Ziyi Li introduces me to my photographer Sha Luo, and we communicated a lot about details for the photoshoot. I do not know a lot about lighting, so she researched it well. And since we are on a budget, finally we agreed that setting up installations is not realistic for us, so we retouched the photos to make the idea of 'multi-dimension' came true. I am responsible for the styling, and Sha helped me to find the make-up artist (Shiyao Liu), model (PJ), and assistants (Gianna Chun and Xiang Cheng). It was a very pleasant photoshoot and everything goes fluently we even finish it before the estimated time, which is the first time in my life.
TH : To push myself out of the boundary. I used to worry about if the garment is too crafty, too like costume that did not perfectly balance with functionality, or over-designed. But in this process, I realized sometimes it is important to forget about the rules others tell me and switch to a subconscious mode and release my thoughts. And it was the first time I draped something with a lot of tiny 3D details, so I struggled with pattern making and thinking about the finishing inside. Now I looked back there is still something I am not 100% satisfied with, but it was a phase in which I challenged myself, which is vital for a designer to grow.
