Shawna Wu On Making It As A Young Designer Today
Lessons on making it as a fashion talent today from the Singapore-born, New York-based young designer who has become a favourite among style stars.
Recently the Singapore-born Taiwanese artisan has seen her hand-crafted creations – gauzy, gothic-charged knits so sensual they blur the boundaries between clothes and lingerie – turn up on digital-age celebrities. The virtual influencer Lil Miquela; the 1.3 million-follower-strong models/reality TV stars, the Clermont Twins; even Charli XCX wore a custom number to the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
The British pop star had commissioned a custom dress crafted out of deadstock lace, tulle, merino wool and cotton for her appearance at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
It’s still early days though for her namesake label, which she officially registered as a business in New York (where she’s been based since 2013) only this year. And she refuses to let all that fame get to her. Here, her advice to other young fashion talents as told to Keng Yang Shuen.
“Always design with a purpose. I don’t want to make stuff that’s too easily available elsewhere because as a designer, I feel that I should make something that is of service to a cultural legacy. For me, that’s Chinese knotting (a central motif in Wu’s work) – a dying art form. It’s also important to help it evolve; give it a new form so that it continues to be alive (cue her corsets and bra tops crafted entirely using the technique and often out of leather). If your art helps to serve people in the community, that’s even better.”
“I don’t hire any marketing agencies to represent me because I don’t have the money to do so. Secondly, I believe that if one’s work is good, people will eventually recognise it. I probably get less exposure than a brand that can afford to hire publicists, but that delay is not always a bad thing. People will reach out if they like what you do and if they don’t, that’s okay too – everyone is entitled to have his or her own opinion. There are also more platforms now that spotlight emerging labels, but I’d rather focus on making sure that what I do has substance… No amount of visibility will help if a product is badly made.”
“This trend of gifting celebrities does not make any sense to me (yes, Charli XCX paid her). I’m more inclined to give my designs away to friends and people in the creative community who I feel are disenfranchised or marginalised and might not have the money. Furthermore, there are lots of people who have amazing vision and style who aren’t famous. They might even be trying to make ends meet and don’t have the same privileges as others… Often those who help to create a culture are anonymous and not credited. That’s why it’s not important for me to serve celebrities. I prefer to serve those who don’t get the recognition they deserve.”