SHAWNA WU

THIS SINGAPORE-BORN TAIWANESE ARTIST DESIGNER is BUILDING a UNIQUE UNIVERSE IN TANDEM with HER DIAPHANOUS, HANDWOVEN GARMENTS

- ANDREA SIM

“It’s like, you can buy a ticket to a vibe,” says Shawna Wu, describing her presentations, that unlike your typical fashion affair, are more akin to performance art. Her most recent one took place last year at a night club in Taipei and involved a show by shibari (the art of Japanese rope bondage) artist SOA, a dance performance, and the on-site dying of her pieces — knotted harnesses and gossamer dresses, skirts and tops — with hawthorn berries. That night, Wu showcased and explored sexuality, the relationship between clothing and the body, and freedom of expression. For Wu, the presentation represents her approach to her eponymous label; one that underscores the symbiotic relationship clothing has with the world it exists within, rather than emphasising visual appeal or materialistic ownership.

“The end goal for the clothing is not to be bought, you know? I just don’t think putting it in a store is the last step,” she shares. “It’s more about how it makes a person feel. We all subconsciously pick up on textures. I think if I make this space, then you’re going to [experience] a new feeling. The problem with capitalism is mass production, and we all start to have the same material world. That’s boring — we deserve to have a world that’s not just about the same feelings.”