Following her Fashion Scout showcase we caught up with Jamie Wei
Huang to get a further insight into her AW14 collection.
Hi Jamie, can you tell me about the inspirations behind your AW14 collection?
The whole collection was inspired by the film The Pianist however instead of war I wanted to focus on the war refugees
themselves, I wanted to focus on their character. Although the
collection is based on the film the idea has developed and its more
about the individual's.
What was it about the characters that you wanted to showcase?
Before the war these people may have been teachers, artists or
musicians, they may have had great wealth, they may even be hiding a
beautiful dress under their masculine oversized coats however war
has made then favour function just in order to survive and keep warm.
Although the refugees environment changes they don’t change
themselves in terms of character they just learn to adapt and
survive.
There was a very clear mood set throughout the show, it was slightly
sombre, tell us more about this?
I wanted the models to walk quietly so that the audience is given the
space to think about who they are as people, underneath the oversized
clothes. I also wanted the women to be seen as unified.
Is the juxtaposition of masculinity and femininity important
throughout all of your work?
Yes, my last collection also featured masculine silhouettes, it's an
ongoing thing for me, I don’t simply design one collection then
stop and design the next, its all an ongoing story.
What do you think about Fashion Scout as a platform for progression?
It has given young designers and graduates a big platform and a
chance for exposure, it has been very good for me to to get the
chance to show my work through Fashion Scout.
Interview by Charlotte Muscat (@CharlotteLM9)
Photography by Sim D, taken on the compact fashion forward LumixGM1 (@PanasonicUK)