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Looking at the face of fashion in Taiwan

By Yu Sen-lun
STAFF REPORTER, WITH STAFF WRITER
Friday, Aug 02, 2002, Page 17

A fashion show with a difference got underway last night at the National Palace Museum as the opening event for an exhibition of Tim Yip's (葉錦添) fashion designs that will run from Aug. 3 to Aug. 25. The exhibition, which is free, will be held in the library building of the National Palace Museum.

The cream of Taiwan's fashion and entertainment establishment was in attendance, both as members of the audience, but also as participants. Taiwan's own rock idol Wu Bai (伍佰) strutted the catwalk in a sleek chest-baring black outfit with a long jacket, and Wei Hai-ming (魏海敏) a well-known singer of Beijing opera, caught everyone's eye with a brightly colored harlequin outfit that might have come out of The Arabian Nights. Even the head of the Council of Cultural Affairs (CCA), Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀), took a turn on the catwalk.

It was a moment of glory for the designer, who isn't even really a fashion designer at all. Yip, who rocketed to international fame with his designs for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has long played an influential role with some of the Taiwan's most unique theatrical groups, and last night's show, titled "Faces of Time," was in many ways a celebration of a new Asian-ness that has taken the international arts scene by storm. "Faces of Time" was organized by the Cabinet-level CCA, the National Palace Museum and Tim Yip Studio. The Council hopes the artistic presentation of clothing will create discussion of clothing culture in Taiwan, and further, upgrade the international image of Taiwan in the fashion world.

Tim Yip's designs, above and main, are intensely modern while maintaining an ``ethnic feel'' to them. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

Yip is currently one of the most sought after designers in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. Long before he shot to international fame with Crouching Tiger, he had worked with major arts figures such as Lin Hwai-ming (林懷民) of Cloud Gate Dance Theater. Although he hails from Hong Kong, Yip lived and worked in Taiwan over many years, making indelible contributions to the look of such groups as the Han-Tang Yue-fu Ensemble (漢唐樂府) and the U Theater (優劇場), both of which, in their very different ways, foster a strong Taiwanese identity.

Yesterday's event was opened by the massive drumming of the U Theater, and the models, many of them among ranking among Taiwan's best-known public faces, showed off some of Yip's innovative designs. Yeh Tung (葉童), the Hong Kong actress who featured in director Tsai Ming-liang's latest work What Time is it There?, looked stunning in a clingy slim-line gown which she admitted being rather partial to, for it showed off her curvaceous figure. Her costume typified one aspect of Yip's design, namely that it is both very modern, but at the same time has a very "ethnic" feel about it. This echoed Yip's comments on the design for Han-Tang Yue-fu Ensemble's costumes, which he described as belonging to an "unspecified time in Chinese history, but being immediately recognizable as being part of Chinese history," in an interview conducted during rehearsals for Han-Tang's most recent show. This mix of modern and historical fashions come together was a theme that ran through the whole event. The music for the show was provided by Lin Chiang (林強), who mixed up electronica with samples of Buddhist chant and other Chinese musical elements.

The whole mood was playful, with Yip playing with a variety of fabrics and designs. Nevertheless, while some of the costumes were outlandish, others had a serious purpose of reviewing the Taiwanese fashion tradition. Yip said, "that Taiwan's fashion is much influenced by both Japan and the US. But the indigenous style is very practical and comfortable." Many of the costumes last night reflected these indigenous styles. The fashion show will be followed by an exhibition which will include a number of Yip's designs for movie costumes, and also photographs of costumes he designed for "ordinary people." The fabulous costumes worn by the bevy of socialites and entertainers last night will go on auction during the exhibition, with money going to the Make a Wish Foundation, which will provide opportunities for children with terminal diseases. Yip said he thought most of the costumes would fetch between NT$100,000 and NT$200,000 each.

Despite his recognition, Yip said that while he would always remain involved in clothing, he had no intention of becoming a professional fashion designer. In fact, his current activities show a pronounced literary bent. Yip has just released a collection of essays titled Many Flowers this July, and has plans to release four novels by the end of this year. Judging both from the 200 costumes, 100 for last nights show and another 100 for the "ordinary people" who feature in the exhibition, Yip is nothing if not prolific, whatever he does. It is likely that he will be putting his stamp on more aspects of Asian fever in the next few years.
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