Switching from mechanical engineering to high fashion seems like an unlikely career path, but that swerving road has led Goji Lin (林國基) to fame. The designer is renowned for his over-the-top creations — he has sent models down the runway in sleek glass corsets and encased in giant lantern-shaped bamboo frames. Lin credits his engineering acumen for his style trademarks: elaborate construction, innovative manipulation of fabric and vivid colors.
Lin studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City and the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in England, but he says he draws inspiration from different facets of Taiwan’s culture. His recent designs have highlighted Taiwan’s ecology, Chinese calligraphy and the computer industry.
Alexander McQueen and Coco Chanel count among Lin’s fashion heroes. The two may seem like complete opposites, but both are seen as sartorial revolutionaries who changed attitudes toward fashion. Lin says he hopes to do the same with traditional Chinese clothing. The neckline of an evening gown, for instance, takes its cues from the qipao’s stand-up collar, but dips below the breastbone; rows of tiny pin tucks add structure and texture to the matte satin. A hand-painted peony blossom in the style of classic Chinese watercolors is hidden by an overlay of tissue-thin black chiffon until the wearer moves.
Before switching careers, Lin also considered interior design and fine art, his first passion, but decided on fashion because “it was easier to start up a clothing business.” He still maintains his interest in painting; last month, Lin’s first one-man art exhibition was held at Alot of People (一票人票畫空間). Called “Unbutton,” it examined Lin’s fascination with this most humble of clothing embellishments.
The designer also derives inspiration for his sexy gowns from one of the world’s most famous women — Barbie. Lin proudly owns Taiwan’s largest collection of the fashion doll.
Lin has gained a certain amount of notoriety for his outrageous designs and unusual hobby and, with his gregarious nature, is a frequent guest on talk shows and has become something of a media personality. Just before his interview with the Taipei Times, Lin shot a public service announcement for a charity that serves the impoverished. Surrounded by evening gowns in his Anhe Road (安和路) storefront, Lin talked about his passion for Taiwan’s native flowers, the mechanics of clothing design and, of course, his little plastic muse.
Taipei Times: You’ll be showing at Hong Kong Fashion Week [which takes place this week]. Where did the inspiration for your most recent collection come from?
Goji Lin: I’m still working with flowers that are native to Taiwan. They are fascinating — the way their stems are shaped, their petals, their colors, the different moods that they evoke. I hope I can use this motif to express what is unique about Taiwan and its culture. There are a lot of gorgeous flowers here, but even Taiwanese people don’t know their names. My theme is “conversing with flowers.” It’s about getting to know them better. Hopefully we’ll develop a greater appreciation of them and not let them become rare or go extinct. That’s another reason I’m placing the spotlight on these plants with my designs.
TT: You had a fashion show last year in Vancouver [at the Telus TaiwanFest] that also focused on Taiwan’s native flowers. What drew you to them in the first place?
GL: At first it was because Taiwan’s Council for Cultural Affairs invited us to create some designs based on the flowers, as part of a campaign to draw attention to them. At that time I was familiar with a few, like Taiwan cherry blossoms, butterfly orchids and azaleas. I’d seen them while hiking in the mountains but never really taken a closer look.
Before I became a designer, however, I studied to be a mechanical engineer. I really like paying attention to the construction of things. I took apart a lot of blossoms to get familiar with them. That way, you can take a closer look at each and really understand the beauty of each part. I’m inspired not only by the colors of each flower, but also by their petals, stamens, stems and the way everything connects to one another.
That’s how I work when I’m looking for inspiration or studying traditional clothing. For example, I like to take vintage clothing apart and then put its back together again to study its construction. But when I put things back together, I don’t just remake them. I’ll try to think of how to invent something new using the same pieces. It’s all about deconstruction, experimenting and coming up with even more interesting silhouettes.
TT: Is that because you have a mechanical engineering background? How did you go from mechanical engineering to fashion design? The two seem very disparate.
GL: Mechanical engineering was never something I was passionate about, but as a student in Taiwan’s educational system, I didn’t have a lot of options. Your choice of universities and subjects depends on your scores in a few exams. But even when I was studying engineering, I never let go of my interest in art or beautiful things.
I started sketching when I was in fifth grade. Because my grades were pretty bad, drawing was a source of encouragement for me, because my talent was recognized and I won some awards. That really solidified my interest in art.
In university, I kept drawing and I even made it into a part-time job. I’d do sketches and sell them to people. And I kept developing my own ideas about aesthetics.
TT: Though it wasn’t your first choice, do you think your mechanical engineering training continues to influence your fashion design?
GJ: Definitely. I’m interested in the mechanics of clothing design. I think what makes my things unique is the construction. You can see evidence of my background in that, because my clothing is more three-dimensional. I love working with fabric to give it new texture and shapes and I think that’s because of my previous job.
TT: I saw a photo of a corset that you made from recycled computer monitors and I figured that was you using your engineering experience.
GJ: I really enjoy using unusual materials or using new manufacturing techniques. I used computer screens because the computer industry creates a lot of waste. It’s a serious issue and I thought, well, “how can I solve it and give these discarded machines a new life?” Because of my engineering background, I was able to figure out how to make a glass corset that was very light and followed the curves of the female body very fluidly. The entire corset was made of recycled materials. I love using other odd materials, too. I made wearable lanterns out of bamboo, for instance. There are all sorts of untried possibilities out there, and ways to express what is unique about our culture.
TT: When you decided to switch careers, you went all the way to England to get a master’s degree. Why did you choose to study there?
GJ: Before going to England, I actually studied for a little bit in New York City. While I was there, however, I discovered that design trends in the US tend to favor simple and practical items, like sportswear. That wasn’t really what I was interested in. The English have a reputation for being conservative, but I think that they are actually quite forward thinking. They accept a lot of new ideas more readily and they have quite a lot of young, avant-garde designers. That was the road I wanted to travel, so when I got to England, I felt like a wish had finally been realized.
My time studying abroad and traveling through Europe really opened my eyes. It changed the way I looked at Asian culture and Western culture, and it inspired me to think of how I could meld the two together in my designs.
TT: You recently had a mixed-media exhibition called “Unbutton.” Why did you pick buttons as your theme and what does “unbutton” mean to you?
GJ: Buttons are the most important embellishment you can put on a piece of clothing because you are in constant contact with them when you are getting dressed or undressed. As a designer, I’m always working with buttons and thinking of them. If you tweak the material and the size of the buttons on a jacket or dress or even a pair of pants, it completely changes the look.
Not only are they functional, but they also have a lot of meaning. When someone unbuttons an article of clothing, there are lots of different things that can be going through their mind. Or, when you button up again, your thoughts and feelings might be wandering in yet another direction.
TT: I hear you also like to collect Barbies.
GJ: Yes, that’s one of my secret passions ... actually, I can’t say that, everyone knows about it! But Barbies have really gorgeous dresses. It’s amazing. When you look at the outfits that have been created for them, you can see a survey of 20th-century fashion history, modern designs, gowns from the Victorian era. There are even qipaos for Barbies. As a designer, I think they are not only a fun fashion reference but also a source of inspiration. A lot of designers look at books about fashion history or vintage magazines, but I look at my Barbies.
TT: Do you collect the outfit sets by Mattel or ones created by other collectors?
GJ: I like Mattel’s vintage designs the most. At the start, they followed the high fashion of the time. For example, they made clothing inspired by the silhouettes of Christian Dior’s New Look. They also made Barbie clothes inspired by Yves Saint Laurent. It makes me really happy to be able to see these designers’ influences when I look at my Barbies. I’m partial to vintage Barbies from the 1950s and 1960s, starting with the first Barbie with the ponytail issued in 1959. The 1960s was a very important decade for many designers and a lot of us still draw inspiration from it. It was an era that transformed fashion.
TT: How many do you have?
GJ: I have 1,200 Barbies. Yes, it’s pretty scary. I’ve spent quite a bit of money! (Laughs)
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