On first appearance, Sophie Hong's (
On the vibrant yellow walls hang abstract paintings by Hong, while in the vintage cabinets her fashion creations and personal collection of exquisite hand-made shoes and hats nestle alongside artifacts from bygone times.
For Hong, perhaps Taiwan's most original and pioneering fashion designer, clothes are an artform and through designing them she expresses her burning urge to create and share.
PHOTOS: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES
After graduating from Shih Chien College, now Shih Chien University (
But working within the confines of the fashion industry was too constricting for the free-spirited designer.
Over the past two decades, Hong has lent her expertise to artists such as Lo Man-fei (羅曼菲) and Zhu Ming (朱銘), and designed costumes for performance groups and cultural bodies such as U Theater (優劇場), Taipei Dance Circle (光環舞集), TTT Puppet Center (大稻埕偶劇團) and the New Aspect Cultural and Educational Foundation (新象文教基金會).
Hong believes that thinking outside the box and challenging existing norms enable her to realize infinite possibilities.
The designer's philosophy is embodied in her solo exhibition currently on display at the Sheltering Sky Gallery (天棚藝術村): Her work transforms clothes and fabric into installation art that symbolizes the landscapes of the inner mind, while her jewelry has been crafted to resemble sculpture.
"Having an art exhibition serves as a stimulus for my work. ... To me, there is no clear line between fashion and art," Hong said.
PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEITIMES
Drawing inspiration from the world around her, Hong's creative process usually begins with abstract sketches instead of trendy elements taken from fashion shows and glossy magazines.
Hong's apparel doesn't usually closely fit the body, and is loose and comfortable yet cosmopolitan and often lavish.
"Clothes to me are living things. ... The same item worn by different people in different moods in different environments can form different landscapes," Hong said. "I offer people items of clothing, and leave the rest to them, that is, the boundless imagination for them to play with."
As simple as the concept may sound, Hong's clothes are a masterly fusion of modern Western cuts and timeless Eastern aesthetics. Behind the clean-cut, yet free-flowing garments lies the history and practices of Eastern traditions.
"My works represent the classical lines and shapes of Oriental couture. The style is simple and free, reminiscent of Chinese ink painting and calligraphy," the elegant and amiable grande dame of couture said.
Hong searched for the perfect material to make her creations, and found, in a long-forgotten village in China, naturally dyed silk produced according to techniques dating from the Ming Dynasty.
After being dyed with yam juice and grass, the fabric is left in the the sun from April to September.
Although such a labor-intensive procedure seems almost obsolete in today's efficiency-obsessed world, Hong's quest to revive natural fabric-dying processes has propelled her to the forefront of environmentally-aware fashion design.
An advocate of manufacturing processes that use non-toxic and non-polluting coloring agents, Hong has developed a new line of clothing locally made using natural dyes.
But Hong's environmentalism does not reject style and technology.
"Eco-friendly consumerism must go hand in hand with modern technology and style," Hong said, "In Taiwan, we have lots of hi-tech fabrics that nobody knows about. Through the international visibility of my brand, I hope to make more people aware of the rich resources in Taiwan."
Environmentalism, technology and art are the core values of Hong's fashion empire.
When speaking of Taiwan's creative and cultural industry, Hong believes there exists a great many artists and workers who make great contributions in different fields, but that government support would make things a lot easier.
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