Taiwanese designer Wang Li-ling (far left) thanking guests for coming to her fashion show in Taipei last Friday. The clothes she designed, which are made from upcycling old wires and bolts from the power industry, drew a warm reception at the show. PHOTO: REUTERS
PUBLISHED5 HOURS AGO
TAIPEI • Inspiration for high fashion can come from strange places.
For one Taiwanese designer, it comes from upcycling old wires and bolts from the power industry.
Ms Wang Li-ling, 36, scours dumps, picking up old bits of metal and wires from Taiwan's main electricity supplier to add flair to her clothes.
"For example, there's quite a lot of material from Taipower that they have phased out," Ms Wang said.
"These materials have been used for more than 20 or 30 years. At least more than 10 years. So their colour or the mottled feeling they give you is different from new material."
The wires and other materials are stitched to dresses and other items of clothing, giving them a futuristic feeling. They drew a warm reception at a fashion show in Taipei last Friday.
"(This) is my first time seeing a Taiwan fashion designer turning recycled things into new ideas," said Taiwanese lifestyle influencer Andrew Chen, who was at the show.
"Everyone knows the fashion industry is about fast fashion. And it is wasteful. It expanded my horizons today that I saw how to use old materials to create something new, and then present it with creativity."
Taiwan has an up-and-coming fashion scene, and its designers are starting to make an impact on the world stage.
Though many global events were shuttered or moved online owing to the pandemic, Taiwan's Taipei Fashion Week in October featured live shows - a testament to the island's success in controlling the virus' spread.
PUBLISHED5 HOURS AGO
TAIPEI • Inspiration for high fashion can come from strange places.
For one Taiwanese designer, it comes from upcycling old wires and bolts from the power industry.
Ms Wang Li-ling, 36, scours dumps, picking up old bits of metal and wires from Taiwan's main electricity supplier to add flair to her clothes.
"For example, there's quite a lot of material from Taipower that they have phased out," Ms Wang said.
"These materials have been used for more than 20 or 30 years. At least more than 10 years. So their colour or the mottled feeling they give you is different from new material."
The wires and other materials are stitched to dresses and other items of clothing, giving them a futuristic feeling. They drew a warm reception at a fashion show in Taipei last Friday.
"(This) is my first time seeing a Taiwan fashion designer turning recycled things into new ideas," said Taiwanese lifestyle influencer Andrew Chen, who was at the show.
"Everyone knows the fashion industry is about fast fashion. And it is wasteful. It expanded my horizons today that I saw how to use old materials to create something new, and then present it with creativity."
Taiwan has an up-and-coming fashion scene, and its designers are starting to make an impact on the world stage.
Though many global events were shuttered or moved online owing to the pandemic, Taiwan's Taipei Fashion Week in October featured live shows - a testament to the island's success in controlling the virus' spread.
Ms Wang inspecting a dress at her studio in Taipei earlier this month. The designer stitches wires and other materials to dresses, giving them a futuristic feeling. PHOTO: REUTERS
REUTERS
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 22, 2020, with the headline 'Taiwanese 'trashion' designer turns waste into clothes'.
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