Alex S. Yu is a local Vancouver designer, also partly based out of London and Taipei, and winner of NICHE Magazine’s Emerging Designer competition. His self-titled womenswear brand showcases youthful imagination and dreams through modern femininity and dashes of quirkiness. 2015 is a sequel year for Alex as his second appearance at Vancouver Fashion Week will show his collection for FW2015 | The Sweet Sixteen and his second pop up shop will take place March 20th-22nd at @thisopenspace.
Alex stepped away from his sketch pad and sewing machine to give 604 Now some insight into the world of a fashion designer:
When did you know you wanted to become a designer and how did you pursue it?
I didn’t really know I wanted to become a designer. I’ve always been interested in fashion all through high school but it never occurred to me I could design and make clothes. I didn’t even know how to sew other than making a pair of boxers in high school for Home Economics class. After graduating high school, I went to SFU to study computer science “like every other Asian kid” and hated my life. Then I just decided to take a basic sewing/pattern cutting course to see if it would be something that I could do and I never looked back since.
Do you think being a designer is a job or something more?
It’s definitely more than just a job. I am very thankful that I have the ability to create a collection of garments creatively and from there, express who I am as a person/designer and voice what I want to say and how I view the world through my garments.
Your pieces have some apparent Japanese and London fashion influence but how would you describe your style and brand?
My label’s style is feminine with a whimsical twist. It’s all about having some fun and not being afraid to experiment and try new things.
How do you transform your imagination and creativity into a reality?
The process is very hard to explain. But in general, I would sketch down my ideas that I get from the inspirations sources and my imagination. Then I would piece the ideas together to form garments while matching the ideas with suitable fabrics and colours in my head.
What exactly inspires you from your travels or the fashion industry?
I get inspired by pretty much everything. We live in a beautiful world and I try to keep my mind open. But I do tend to gravitate towards youth subcultures, contemporary arts and films as main sources of my inspirations.
Tell us about your SS2015 collection: The Lost Youth:
My SS2015 | The Lost Youth collection was inspired by my times studying and living in London. During the time, I frequently lingered in East London, which was rich in youth subculture. I was inspired by the people that I met there. They resent the government and the way the society is today, but they voice their angst through arts. Street arts in the form of graffiti, sculptures and random objects placed spontaneously inspired the collection. Another source of inspiration was my favourite children’s book author, Dr. Seuss. I was inspired by the optimistic mood of his books, the rich colours and the hidden environmental issues.
What did your debut in Vancouver Fashion Week mean to you as a young up-and-coming designer?
It was a great opportunity to be sponsored by Niche Magazine as an Emerging Designer to show my debut collection at Vancouver Fashion Week. It especially meant a lot to me because Vancouver was the city that I was raised in. After studying my post graduate degree at London, it was amazing to be able to come back to my home city to show my family and friends what I can do. It also opened a lot of unexpected doors for me. I held my own pop up shop and it is still unbelievable how people would be buying something that I have made and seeing someone on the street in my designs is one of the best feelings in the world. I’ve also received a lot of international and local press after showing at VFW such as Vogue UK, Elle Italia, Vancouver Sun and much more. I could definitely say it was an amazing experience, hence why I am showing again in March, 2015.
Where did you study fashion design and what is the greatest thing you learned?
I studied at Blanche Maconald Centre in Vancouver and London College of Fashion in London. The greatest thing I learned is finding out who I am as a designer and what I wanted to say with my designs.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
I will be showing my FW2015 | THE SWEET SIXTEEN collection at Vancouver Fashion Week again on 17th, March 2015 and will also be doing my second pop up shop at @thisopenspace (434 Columbia Street in Chinatown) from 20th to 22nd March.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone interested in pursuing fashion and design?
Work hard, have fun and believe in your own voice.
For more on the collections of Alex S. Yu visit http://www.alexsyu.com/
Interview by Amar Mirchandani @amarmirch
