High fashion inspiration can come from weird locations. For one Taiwanese designer, old wires and bolts from the power industry are being upcycled for fashion.
Wang Li-ling, 36, scours dumps, picking up old metal bits and wires to add an extra flair to her clothes from Taiwan’s largest electricity supplier.
“For example, there’s quite a lot of material from Taipower that they have phased out,” Wang told Reuters in her studio.
“These materials have been used for more than 20 or 30 years. At least more than 10 years. So their color or the mottled feeling they give you is different from new material.”
The wires and other materials are sewn onto dresses and other clothing pieces, giving them a futuristic feeling and a warm welcome on Friday at a fashion show in Taipei.
“Actually, it is my first time seeing a Taiwan fashion designer turning recycled things into new ideas,” said Taiwanese lifestyle influencer Andrew Chen, who was at the show.
“Everyone knows the fashion industry is about fast fashion. And it is wasteful. It expanded my horizons today that I saw how to use old materials to create something new, and then present it with creativity.”
A popular pre-coronavirus destination for trendy visitors, Taiwan has an up-and-coming fashion scene whose designers are beginning to make an impact on the world stage.
Taiwan put on Taipei Fashion Week in October with live shows, with several worldwide activities shuttered or relocated online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a testament to the strong efforts of the island to contain the spread of the disease.
Source: Reuters