You
I have studied a lot in my life, in Europe, in Asia and here in Montreal, in fashion design,
in design, in media, I worked in the fashion industry and then I teach at Lucam as a
design teacher for ten years.
I decided to become a fashion designer quite young.
I went to an exhibition of Yves Saint-Laurent in Pékeur with my mother and I really liked it.
In fact, it was not the elegance and the refinement of her work that struck me,
but rather the difference.
So at that time, I decided to do this job to do something different.
The work of Ying, I see it as an innovative work and also that surprises, that wants to
look for people. What interests me is the way she fits the dress, but also
in a more artistic, very poetic way.
My role as an assistant in fact is to realize, to build Ying's imaginary,
to make sure that she becomes something real.
I met Ying at the master's when I was studying at Lucam.
Then we became friends.
Then, after working together, she asked me how I did the robotics of working with her
on her clothes.
My role is really to bring her to find interesting ways to integrate technology
in her clothes.
So I still have a creative approach, but Ying decides in the end what she wants to know
and how she wants to behave.
Technology is important to me because it is an unthinkable tool.
This means that she remains a tool.
She is not a fan of herself.
It is something with which I have a lot of fun.
For example, for the Playtime event, I will show her an approach
that is a bit of a marionette, where we have threads on other structure elements.
Then, from that moment on, Ying can see how we are going to move the elements,
to change their shape.
I think that we do not necessarily find this in a more traditional way.
In the field of intelligent textiles, we will not put the emphasis on it.
So we will look for materials that are electronic, but what we do as a
work is to modify the structure of the clothes.
For me, it is very important that it is not a entertainment.
When I go to the cinema or when I look at a photo of Jeff Wall,
I want to experience it.
For my projects to be ready to be carried out, the experience is no longer there.
But it is a commitment that I must make as a fashion designer
because in the end, I am not an artist.
Technology and concept are two distinct things.
The concept is the vision of the creator, while for me,
in any case, technology remains a tool of work.
