Po-Chieh Chiu
Po-Chieh Chiu, 24, comes from Shetou, a small town in the countryside of Taiwan. A winner of multiple fashion awards, he received his BA in Fashion Design at Shih Chien University and interned for Jason Wu in New York before coming to Central Saint Martins for Graduate Diploma Fashion. Po’s inspirational process is closely connected to his personal experience. Growing up in a very traditional family and surrounded by stereotypes, he started searching for his identity through design. Trying to match his family's expectations, he often had to hide his sensitive and creative side. That is why the aspect of disguise has become a key ingredient of his design inspiration.
His final collection is a deep dive into his past. “Serving in the army was probably the most ‘masculine’ thing I have ever done from a traditional point of view,” says Po. He started by exploring understandings of masculinity, using soldiers’ uniform as a reference. He looked into his own style and tried to create his vision of masculinity based on his daily wear. The collection’s main theme emerges as floral camouflage. “Camouflage is meant to be a form of disguise in the army. I wanted to create the opposite. My florals are dancing on the garments in celebration of freedom and queer identity.”
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Words: Katia Smirnova
Video: Geri Dempsey
His final collection is a deep dive into his past. “Serving in the army was probably the most ‘masculine’ thing I have ever done from a traditional point of view,” says Po. He started by exploring understandings of masculinity, using soldiers’ uniform as a reference. He looked into his own style and tried to create his vision of masculinity based on his daily wear. The collection’s main theme emerges as floral camouflage. “Camouflage is meant to be a form of disguise in the army. I wanted to create the opposite. My florals are dancing on the garments in celebration of freedom and queer identity.”
Email | Instagram
Words: Katia Smirnova
Video: Geri Dempsey