The world of haute couture is shrinking. The number of top-end fashion houses is dwindling and conglomerates are gobbling up independent couturiers under larger corporate banners.
So, as svelte models stepped out onto the runway at Paris fashion week last month -- wearing designs inspired by local Aboriginal culture -- two Taiwanese men entered an exclusive club, one in which creativity, business acumen and serendipity are no guarantors of access.
Chien Yu-feng (簡鈺峰) and Shawn Pan (潘伯勳) are the first Taiwanese designers to show their collection at Paris fashion week, which attracts thousands of buyers and journalists and commands the attention of influential glossies such as Vogue.
The pair met at a New York fashion show, formed Yufengshawn fashion house in 1999 and produced their first collection for Fall/Winter 2000. Seven collections later they have 30 retail outlets throughout the world.
Their latest Shawnyi collection for Spring/Summer was a show of contradictions, one that reflected the dynamics of Chien and Pan's working relationship.
"My personality is sophisticated, glamorous and elegant," said Chien, the extroverted half of the partnership. Pan's timidity belies his avant-garde approach to fashion as he is responsible for the technological innovations used in the manufacture of the fabrics for their designs.
Pan and Chien are the most successful Taiwanese fashion designers on the international stage to date. Such an accomplishment is due, in part, to the French education system and a government willing to foster young talent.
Chien, after having obtained a diploma from art college in 1994, worked for several local ready-to-wear designers including Shiatzy Chen, before moving to Paris to study at the L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicate de la Couture Parisienne. Pan, after graduating from high school also moved to Paris to study at the Chambre Syndicate de la Couture.
On forming Yufengshawn the pair sought assistance from the French government, which helped them "find a place to work, paid for airline tickets to trade fairs that included one in Japan, covered the bill for the hotels and interpreters, and funded 50 percent of the cost of hiring models for the shows," said Chien. "The assistance lasts for five years, the time necessary to fully establish a viable brand."
The Federation Francaise de la Couture, headed by Didier Grumbach was established in 1868, and regulates the high-end fashion industry in France. It is overseen by the government and offers accredited designers like Pan and Chien help with copy-right protection and management issues.
It also organizes the October ready-to-wear Paris fashion week. Membership of the federation is highly sought after. Such assistance is not as forthcoming from Taiwan's government.
"But every country has different policies, for France and Italy fashion is important. The fashion industry is more important, they know how to do that better than [Taiwan]," Chien said.
However, as Taiwan's government is now promoting a shift to higher added-value design products, on which the Ministry of Economic Affairs says future economic development depends, more assistance is becoming available. The Council of Cultural Affairs has implemented a "Flagship Plan" to promote local fashion designers by encouraging exchanges and freeing up funding.
RSS