Taipei Fashion Week
Fashion Event
Since the crossover of arts and fashion in 2011, and crossover of indigenous craftsmanship and fashion in 2022, the opening show of AW23 Taipei Fashion Week was again about the crossover between fashion and traditional crafts. Many craftsmen and performing arts preservers are invited to collaborate with the contemporary fashion designers to develop a unique and brilliant fashion collection.
The show was held in front of Nankunshen Daitian Temple in Tainan, one of the oldest and most historically important temples in Taiwan. With 360 years of history, Nankunshen Daitian Temple represents not only local Taiwanese life, but also the most essential fashion elements in each crucial historical moment.
The core of contemporary Taiwan fashion is derived from traditional craft culture, making Nankunshen Daitian Temple the perfect backdrop to display collections that pay homage to the preservation of tradition in modern day. Familiar fashion designers took part in this year’s show, resulting in a unique and brilliant look into the future of fashion.
The show was the third in a trilogy of crossover collaboration at Taipei Fashion Week between contemporary fashion designers and traditional craftsmen, following the crossover of contemporary visual art in SS22 and the crossover of indigenous crafts of master craftsmen in SS23. As with the previous crossover shows, this year’s opening show seamlessly blends art, craftsmanship, culture, and fashion to show new and exciting propositions for modern Taiwanese designs.
C JEAN collaborated with lacquer artist Ching-Shuang Wang; GIOIA PAN with Taiwanese opera master Mei-Yun Tang; JUST IN XX with traditional temple painter Wu-Nan Zhuang; BOB JIAN with Zhen Shou Temple Wu Jing Tang Folk Parade Club; TANGTSUNGCHIEN with Tung-Hua shadow puppet heater; YENLINE with paper sculptor I-Chang Chen; and WEI TZU-YUAN with Hsia-Sheng Chen, who specializes in traditional and creative knotting.
Taipei Fashion Week continues to move forward steadily with an emphasis on Taiwan cultural pride as part of its plan to create an interdisciplinary fashion culture.The goal is to create a legacy where art and culture fuse in contemporary popular clothing, combining fashion with fields such as film, drama, popular music, performing arts, and traditional crafts. Ultimately, Taipei Fashion Week aims to become an influential force of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion on an international stage and become synonymous with a respect for craftsmanship, cultivating talent, and driving endless creativity.
There are 12 Taiwan fashion brands and 1 New Breed brand in total were selected to participate in the brand show for 2023 AW Taipei Fashion Week. In the post-epidemic era, this season continues the sustainable spirit of Taipei Fashion Week, endeavours to create a unique stage for each brand, and uses Taiwan’s designing soft power to stand out globally.
All images courtesy of TFW and their PR in London – DyeLog
