When I arrived at the backstage of “Liu Yong x Rishkensh” at the Spring Studios, I was out of breath and 10 minutes late for my pre-show interview with the designer. Panicking with sweats, I felt instant relief when I heard that the interview schedule was pushed back. I’d hate to miss this precious opportunity to speak with one of the top 10 fashion designers in China.
This is the second time Liu Yong attends the New York Fashion Week (NYFW). The designer first made his debut last year for another brand of his, DAKUN.
During the interview, I asked the designer where he draws his inspirations. “Eastern culture,” Liu answered unhesitantly. Similar to what Liu had last year for DAKUN, he continues to represent the Eastern traditional culture with a contemporary touch in RISHIKESH. The designer explained: “the ‘Eastern culture’ does not limit to the traditional terms. Rather, it ought to showcase the contemporary blend and the moving state of how traditional culture’s been interpreted and defined by the younger generation.”
RISHIKESH has its core values stemming from the yoga culture, but with a trendy dash. The designer explained the difference between these two brands: “The goal for RISHIKESH is to merge trendy elements into the yoga apparels, and making yoga fun and colorful.” Liu continued, “DAKUN, on the other hand, focuses on trend-setting for street styles and casual luxury. RISHIKESH is more athleisure.”
As I wandered around backstage, I noticed the playful fabrication of bright colors and distinct materials of the collection. Each piece came across as something familiar, but with a fresh twist unseen before: futuristic colors, deliberate logos, eye-catching graphics, whimsical accessories, edgy cuts…
“A professional designer should always expand his or her breadth of work and try to design different styles and types of outfit. For my career in China, I mainly focus on Menswear, anything from couture, professional attire, leisure, to street style, loungewear, and sportswear. But before that, I actually worked in Womenswear.” This past March, Liu also worked on parent-child fashion: complementary outfits for parents and their kids, which is a growing market led by rising Chinese designers.
When asked what’s his favorite style, the designer laughed gleefully and said, “ Of course I’d prefer the trendier ones.” This makes total sense. Liu’s creative playfulness sparks throughout all of his collections.
As one of the most prolific designers sought after by Chinese youth, Liu Yong offered insights into fashion in China: “Chinese fashion is definitely very close to global fashion. Much of contemporary Chinese fashion has already incorporated many Western influences, on how outfits are styled or dressed. On the other hand, the younger generation has their own interpretations of fashion. They’d prefer something more unique and edgy. They’d dress to show their personalities and tastes, so they’re less likely to go back to the traditional culture or what’s expected but rather, something more unique and ahead of the trend.”
“Chinese fashion is really diverse,” Liu continued. “You see a lot of different demands, tastes, and combination of styles. For example, some would prefer athleisure, others just want pure leisure; some would dress oversized, but others prefer more hip and trendy looks, or even the manga culture influences… it’s a wide range.”
“Now is an exciting time as we see many emerging Chinese designers stepping on to the global fashion stage. But I think it’ll take time for the world to know more about China and Chinese fashion. We need more Chinese designers to attend fashion shows and global fashion events to present their talents, and help the world understand the Chinese fashion market better. This will take time.”
China is actually becoming a powerhouse of influence in the street and athleisure world, and as a trailblazer for street styles in China, Liu Yong’s design continues to the trendsetter, reflecting the rising generation of Chinese youth that are challenging the traditions and reshaping the “Eastern culture.”
“True success is finding the intersection of your creativity and the demand of your market. I feel accomplished when I could offer value to the fashion industry and be accepted by the consumers at the same time.”
Throughout the interview, Liu answered each of my questions thoughtfully with patience while the rest of the backstage crew hustled around. I was in awe of his calm presence in the midst of chaos. “My second time at NYFW felt more relaxing than the first. I had a lot of fun preparing it,” Liu shared joyfully.
Just like how Liu managed everything with ease and peace, the designer is ready to freshen up the landscape of global fashion with his talents.
Although the American fashionistas are yet to learn more about the name “Liu Yong,” the designer has achieved enormous success at home. He is one of the core designers of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), a council member & executive member of the Arts Committee of China Fashion Association, a council member of Asia Fashion Association China, Vice President of Fujian Fashion Designers Association, and Vice President of Guangdong Fashion Designers Association.
In 2003, Liu Yong started his own fashion studio and has cooperated with many fashion brands successfully. Liu established his own street fashion brand, “LIU YONG PLAY,” in 2015, and the casual luxury brand, “DAKUN,” in 2016, the same year he won the “China Fashion Designer Top Award.” Now, the designer brings his newest work “Liu Yong x RISHIKESH” to America’s biannual fashion fest. See the link for the full show.
Please see Fashion Magazine for more images of the “Liu Yong x Rishikesh” SS20 collection.