Taiwan's answer to Manolo Blahnik

By Ho Yi
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006, Page 13

In Taipei, where designer brands such as LV and Gucci are worshipped by the rich and middle class alike, fashion-wired ladies sporting dazzling dresses and premium accessories are all just par for the course at parties and trendy night-life venues these days.

And the city's stock of luxurious wares just got a little bigger with the recent addition of Taiwanese designer Kenji Du's (杜榮仁) first store, devoted largely to that which leaves glamourous ladies most spellbound -- high-heel shoes.

Du's creations recall the shoe brand Manolo Blahnik, which achieved worldwide fame on the heels -- literally -- of Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie in the US hit TV series Sex and the City. Du's swanky and oh-so sexy high-heels of red, black and metallic-hued velvet are offset by encrusted diamonds and colored gems. The clientele for such footware are none other than the swelling ranks of modern, monied women not afraid of embracing their femininity, and who obviously enjoy being the center of attention.

A former dancer and model, Kenji Du, right, made a name for himself by designing clothes for celebrities' wardrobes. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KENJI DU

Some may wonder just how high a girl has to prop up her heels to garner all that extra attention. Du's high-heels look high enough to break the wearer's ankles, but -- like those of the Manolo Blahnik -- Du's creations are said to be both fashionable and practical. "I have walked in his shoes for hours already, and my feet don't feel sore at all," a girl sporting Du's shoes attested at the opening party for his new establishment.

A good friend of the age-resistant star Stephanie Hsiao (蕭薔) who also designs the wardrobes of other female stars such as Vicky Chen (陳孝萱) and Chu Ai-ling (曲艾玲), Du is nothing like your usual flamboyant character straining for the limelight. He is a surprisingly sincere, neighborly man who worked his way up to what he is now.

"I worked as a model and a dancer and sold clothes as a street-side vendor. It wasn't until 10 years ago that I was determined to become a fashion designer," Du said.

The 40-year-old designer's first encounter with fashion was at an award ceremony for new local designers held by the Taiwan Textile Federation (台灣紡拓會) when he was 25. When he saw the models parading down the catwalk in designer clothes, he promised himself that one day he would take home the grand prize.

Several years passed as Du's modeling job took off and gave him a life of comfort. He put his fashion designer dream on hold until he began pushing 30 and was reminded of the vow he had made to himself. With only an elementary school education, Du had to start from the bottom. "I began from the basics. It was really difficult for me since most designers didn't want to take on a 30-year-old assistant," Du said.

After a series of frustrations and setbacks, Du finally landed an apprenticeship at a local designer's studio and before long, he attended the textile federation's award ceremony again -- this time, as an award-receiver.

A couple years ago, Du set out to establish his own brand -- Kenji -- armed with a small loan of NT$300,000.

And like his shoes, his distinctive outfits have sexy written all over them. For his spring/summer collection, elegantly cut dresses and mini-skirts of bright shaded chiffon and lace offset by colored sequins draw out a feminine sweetness from the wearer's curves and lines. "I believe in simple cutting because I think over-accessorizing covers up a woman's natural contours," Du said. "For me, being sexy doesn't mean exposing lots of cleavage, navel and leg. Women can wear suits and still be sexy."

Turning away from mass production, Du chooses to present his creations as hand-made haute couture that can fetch high prices -- NT$40,000 for an evening dress, for example. His shoes' price tags are relatively low, fetching between NT$5,000 to NT$15,000. Another line of more casual footwear for young women is also on its way to the market.

Beside samples of haute couture dresses and high-heels, visitors at Du's boutique at the newly opened ATT Qui on Zhongxiao East Road can also check out the colorful handmade handbags from Ipa-Nima, the fast-rising handbag and accessory brand adored by Hollywood stars and models, and whose celebrity clients include former US first lady Senator Hillary Clinton and Asian diva Faye Wang (王菲).

Created by Hong Kong-born, Vietnam-based designer Christina Yu, who has graced the pages of Vogue and Asiaweek, Ipa-Nima's exotic creations are funky, boldly fusing colors and fabrics. Yu splashes sea blue, spring green, canary yellow, and gold and silver together on leather, hand-woven silk, cotton, and linen. Such a fusion screams fun, and satisfies women's desire to be fashionably different without going overboard. For women seeking a more dressy look, there are a series of small party handbags with sequins and gems, while cotton and canvas bags boasting floral patterns are good for work environments.

What's more, uniqueness in the form of Ipa-Nima access-ories won't cost you an arm and a leg. Imagine that -- walking out of a boutique with not only a one-of-a-kind look, but just enough spare change to get you home on the MRT to boot.