This Autumn/Winter 2016’s fashion designs are presented by the students from Shih Chien University in Taiwan. Revealing their major pieces in the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin’s tent, they show the variety of styles that can be developed at their university.
“Shih Chien” means practice, which the founders of the school wanted to insist upon. It is based on a Chinese philosopher, Wang Yangming, who said in 1498: “Knowledge is the beginning of practice. Doing is the completion of knowing”. Relying on such a great belief, the university pushes its students to put their theory into practice as much as possible, to become experts in their fields. Thanks to this learning method, the university is the 1st higher education institute of fashion in Taiwan. In 2007, US Business Week declared it had the “Best Design Programs” in the world. And in 2014, it is still rated as one of the 30th best design schools in the world by Ranker.com. Such great titles for the university that lets its students be creative, while being oriented towards today’s market. In 2013, the design department started “PRAXES”, which created an even greater link with the fashion industry, by mixing schoolwork and real work experiences.
At MBFWB, Shih Chien’s design and Praxes’ Masters students present their best work, all exposing great talent in their respective fields. From highly conceptual to ready-to-wear, depending on which program they are enrolled in, every student offers something new to the fashion industry. Their university encourages them to stay creative while being market oriented, which will surely ease their future in the industry.
To put the audience in the correct mood, the goodie-bags contained made in Taiwan products, and a Chinese music opened the show. The Shih Chien students want to trasnport us into their culture, and present all it has to offer.
20 collections of one to three looks from the design department, which is more conceptual, and one set of fifteen outfits from Praxes, which consists of ready-to-wear garments, stroll on the catwalk.
Extravagance and innovation is what rules Shih Chien’s conceptual designs. It includes collections such as “My strange love with orthopaedics”, which is composed of two looks that mix silk with a plastic material. They contain headpieces, which resemble orthodontic elements, as well as knee and elbow protections, torso armours and traditional Asian shoes that hold the ankles. This particular collection appears to celebrate one’s potential disease, and shows that fashion is for everyone. Another collection is called “The second gender” and consists of highly exaggerated male silhouettes made out of quilted fabrics. It contains three looks that are deconstructed, and play with the idea of men’s fashion, mixing and matching garments and colours.
In most of their looks, the students have incorporated elements from their Chinese culture into modern styles. The first three outfits are completed with traditional headpieces – a good way to open the Taiwan show. On other garments, details such as Chinese symbols, shoes or Buddha prints all make reference to their home country.
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The Praxes’ ready-to-wear garments are made out of luxurious fabrics, which the students beautifully manipulated. 15 women’s wear looks follow one another in a dominant silk cascade. With a variety of short and long pieces, and highly feminine to more professional, they offer outfits to please all industry markets – something for everyone.
The students show great technique in their respective fields, from knitwear to printed silk, or everyday wear to conceptual fashion. Shih Chien’s students can all choose their favourite style and are encouraged to push it to excellence. With styles that would please all markets of the fashion industry, these students are clearly heading towards making names for themselves.
Der Beitrag FASHION DESIGNS | Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Autumn/Winter 2016 erschien zuerst auf SUPERIOR MAGAZINE.