On October 11, the opening show of Taipei Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 was held at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.
Taipei Fashion Week holds the opening show on the first day of each season’s fashion week and is jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the City of Taipei. This time, its concept is “street fashion by the next generation of Taiwanese brands” with the theme of “Youth Culture.”
A total of six brands, including (A)crypsis®, 67ARROW, ANOWHEREMAN, JUST IN XX, PLATEAU STUDIO, and oqLiq, participated in the event, presenting their latest collections incorporating Taiwanese streetwear trends and innovation.
【(A)crypsis® and .67ARROW】
(A)crypsis® and 67ARROW were the first two brands to present their collections at the opening show. Instead of the usual runway show, they presented a unique style in which dancers dressed in their latest collections and engaged in a dance battle. Both brands surprised the audience with their energetic and unified dance performances set to rhythmic hip-hop music.
The (A)crypsis® collection featured wearable items in black and earth tones.
The daily wardrobe was filled with details such as patchwork of different materials, embroidery, prints, and knitwear, expressing (A)crypsis®’s unique individuality.
The .67ARROW collection included impressive designs reminiscent of Japanese ninja and judo uniforms using vivid colors such as purple and orange. Most of the garments were created using a combination of stenciling, digital printing, weaving, and splicing. The cropped jacket and baggy pants in particular captured the key silhouettes of the season, radiating strength and a free-spirited mood.
【ANOWHEREMAN】
ANOWHEREMAN presents its latest collection with a modern twist based on the core of rock culture that incited young people in the 80s and 90s. Co-founded by artist Bolin Chen and designer Anthony, the brand takes its name from the Beatles’ song “Nowhere Man,” and reflects in its clothes a young man’s search for freedom and rebellious spirit.
The brand’s somewhat devastating rock and bohemian style was retro with boldly cut and damaged denim, fringe necklaces with dreamcatcher-like threads hanging down around the neck, and ponchos with impactful black and red stripes.
【OqLiq】
OqLiq, a brand with a reputation for pursuing high functionality presented a collection inspired by “comics.” The show began with an urban nightscape projected on the screen and the collection featured several clean, cool, sporty looks with black lines enhanced by white tones.
This season, the brand collaborated across borders with Taiwanese contemporary artist Cowper Wang and comic artist Eli Lin. The artists incorporated hand-drawn elements, making three-dimensional styles appear flat. The models on the runway wore unique makeup and costumes that seemed to come out of the world of anime and manga, giving the audience the illusion that they were looking at a flat surface instead of a three-dimensional space.
Many of the accessories were also out-of-the-ordinary. For instance, boxer gloves were worn in a look reminiscent of a high school girl’s uniform, and a large octopus-foot neck warmer was wrapped around a simple monotone style. Previously, OqLiq had been characterized as wearable, functional, and simple items; however, the “comic” theme brought a new and unexpected uniqueness to the brand at this show.
【PLATEAU STUDIO】
PLATEAU STUDIO is known for its three-dimensional cuts and prints on streetwear. In this collection, the brand held a special collaboration with graffiti artist Reach. As a model in pure white garments stepped onto the platform above the runway, Reach appeared on stage and gave a live performance spray painting graffiti in blue, pink, and black.
The collection caught the eye with looks that maximized the potential of denim with different finishes and unique designs. For example, asymmetrical cutting, fusion of different materials, all-over printing, wash processing, and wrinkle dyeing. These techniques brought out the texture of the fabric as a whole and offered a variety of ways to wear a single style.
PLATEAU STUDIO expressed a consistent diversity to live without being bound by the times or circumstances, with the message of “a response to recent life changes, as people have gradually adjusted their lifestyles with the easing of the pandemic.”
【JUST IN XX】
JUST IN XX, the brand created by Taiwan’s leading fashion designer Justin Chou presented its “So Soul MAD House” collection, a fusion of technology and fashion, which embodied the brand spirit of “Local is Global.” Setting up a storyline with characters created from generative AI, the brand adopted an experimental approach to fashion design.
The shocking show began when the bright red word “Alert” appeared on the screen, and just as the background music switched to a heartbeat, models dressed as beasts all gathered on the runway at once.
This season, designer Chou said he created the fictional manga titled “So Soul MAD House” by a nonexistent manga artist named Yue-wan through dialogue with an AI chatbot. Led by the six characters that appear in the story, the AI-inspired show was two-dimensional, strange, and fantastical.
From an all-white look with beautiful embossed chain-like lines to a poncho with wavy black-and-white borders that seemed to reveal the female body line, to a glittering Napoleon jacket that looked like something out of a historical drama. Each model was infused with a completely different personality, which was perfectly expressed in the costumes. The models also attracted attention for their outlandish accessories, including a model holding a doll and a tote bag with a large Mona Lisa painted on it.
In the show’s finale, the models reappeared wearing the same beast masks as in the opening, ending the story with mysterious music.
At the opening show of Taipei Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024, these six fashion brands presented their latest collections, which were a cross between technology, entertainment, and fashion, with youth culture at the core. The importance of youth culture was highlighted in the fashion industry, vividly expressing the diversity and freedom of contemporary fashion.
Taipei Fashion Week serves as a platform not only for elevating the fashion industry but also as a stage to spotlight the essence of Taiwanese design philosophy, encompassing cultural creativity, multiculturalism, inclusivity, and sustainability.
Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang gave a speech at the opening show as follows.
“This year’s theme is “Youth Culture”. The global fashion industry believes that the unique perspective of youth is the key to influencing pop culture. The opening show will showcase Taiwanese street fashion to the world, with six next-generation brands interpreting elements of teen favorites and exploring Taiwan’s youth culture.”
Taipei Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 will run for seven days from Wednesday, October 11, 2023, to Sunday, October 17, 2023, with the hottest Taiwanese designers presenting their latest collections during the event.
【2023 Taipei Fashion Week SS24】
Dates: October 11 (Wed) – October 17 (Sun), 2023
Official Venue: Songshan Cultural and Creative Park
Organizer: Ministry of Culture
Produced by: Condé Nast Group CNX Taiwan
Official Website: https://tpefw.com/
Facebook: @tpefashionweek
Instagram: @tpe.fashionweek
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taipeifashionweek4596