Interview with Canadian Fashion Designer Angela Chen

Angela Chen F/W 2011
Photo by George Pimmentel

When I saw Canadian fashion designer's Angela Chen's Fall-Winter 2011 presentation at LG Fashion Week, I was struck by her bold combination of chunky knitwear with delicate fabrics like tulle. It was paradoxically cozy and delicate at the same time and reminded me of ballerina dancers in rehearsal with their sweaters and knitwear piled on for warmth. It was this successful pairing of hard and soft elements that led me to seek out an interview with Angela.

Ingrid: It seems to me that you took bigger risks with this collection in moving beyond classical elements into more daring and bolder design work. Would that be an accurate assessment?

Angela: Yes. This season I was really inspired by contemporary artist Jonathan Lasker and his brushstroke technique. Jonathan likes to play with form and this influenced my decision to knit.  With knits I can incorporate both thick and thin yarns to create unique shapes that are heavily texturized. My collection captures bright white against black to achieve a bold contrast similar to Jonathan’s use of pop colours against neutral backdrops. I love his artistic technique and his ability to use erratic brush strokes to play with shape. I drew on his use of repetition and freehanded lines when I knit my Fall collection. This season my collection is titled Sleep & Poetry, which is also a partial title of a Lasker book of drawings and poems, and a poem by John Keats.

Ingrid: Almost all the pieces in this collection seem to have a knitwear element. Was this a conscious decision to move to focus your strengths and something that you enjoy?

Angela: Knitting has become one of my signature styles. I love the art of knitting because it allows me to manipulate yarn so I can play with different silhouettes, create repetition and weave abstract lines, similar to what Jonathan is able to accomplish with his sporadic brushstrokes and use of abstract forms in his artwork. 

Angela Chen FW Collection 2011
Photo by George Pimmentel

Ingrid: How did you begin your design process for this particular collection? Did you sketch it out first or just pick up the knitting needles?

Angela: I knew that I wanted to incorporate a lot of knits into my FW2011 collection. I sketched dozens of knitwear ideas down on paper before I picked up the knitting needles. When it came time to pick up the knitting needles I didn’t put them down until right before the show!  

Ingrid: I was particularly drawn to your tulle skirts. Is this the first time you've worked with tulle?

Angela: This was my first time incorporating tulle tutus into a collection. I decided to use tulle because I enjoyed how the chunky knit mixed with the tulle to create a hard and soft contrast, similar to Jonathan’s paintings.  Tulle and yarn allowed me to create texturized layers and shapes, which is why I incorporated them both into my collection. Jonathan really inspired me to play with form and contrast. The wool yarn I used had hints of mohair in it, which is a light-weight yarn; my outfits had to appear big and chunky but be light enough to wear and I think incorporating the tulle skirts emphasizes the weightlessness of the collection. 

Ingrid: In our previous interview, you mentioned that you hand-knit all the chunky sweaters yourself. Was that also true this time? If so, how do you envision this going into production?

Angela: It’s true! All the knits in my FW2011 collection were hand-knit by me. For the production of my knitwear I contacted a fashion office in Hong Kong that connected me to a factory in Shenzhen that specializes in knits. While most of my production is based in Vancouver, Shenzhen handles my knitwear pieces. I believe that building connections overseas is the first step in establishing OR as a global brand. 

Angela Chen FW 2011
Photo by George Pimmentel

Ingrid: Almost all the pieces were in black and white, except perhaps for the tulle skirt and the purple bustier. Why weren't they also in black or white? (I loved them in gold but just found it interesting that they weren't black or white).

Angela: I choose gold because I wanted to incorporate a pop of colour within my collection. I was influenced by Jonathan’s use of bright colours against a neutral backdrop in his paintings. Also, it is important for me to create a collection that is timeless; I chose to incorporate gold within my colour palette because gold will never go out of style.  

Ingrid: Please update me on where you are selling your collection now.

Angela: I am currently in talks with some stores in Toronto which I am very excited about. I also have OR selling in British Columbia and in Taiwan. Online my line is available at Moxsie Online Boutique and Etsy. 

Ingrid: What's next?

Angela: I would like to open a flagship OR by Angela Chen store in countries all over the world, starting with Canada of course! 

Angela Chen at LG Fashion Week 2011
Photo by George Pimmentel

Photos provided courtesy of Angela Chen via lotus leaf communications

The Web of Fashion (Or what it is really like to attend Fashion Week)

LG Fashion Week Opening Night, Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

It is easy to get caught up in the glitter and glam of the fashion web. Being invited to attend a fashion show seems like the ultimate confirmation that one is part of a closed clique of the fashionable elite. And yet there is an underbelly to this world that rarely gets written about. And while I had a wonderful time at the opening of LG Fashion Week on Monday night, it also gave me pause to think.

Walking into an event like this, the red carpet looms not as a beacon of welcome but as the first test of whether or not one is fashionable enough to be photographed.  From that moment on, the test continues inside and does not end until the night is over. Every set of heavily made up eyes gives you the once over from head to toe, making instant assessments of whether your shoes, outfit and handbag are sufficiently fashionable. You can feel them passing judgement, even if no words cross their collagen-injected lips and it takes a high degree of self-confidence and a good sense of humour to endure the non-stop scrutiny. I laughed my way through it with several glasses of champagne, a free makeover by L'Oreal and photo ops with some cute male models.

The next threshold to cross is the show venue itself. One is assigned either a seat or section, depending on your status and importance to the designer. A gift may or may not await you, depending on whether you are considered swag worthy and depending on whether or not your bag has been pilfered by those around you. Even getting to your seat can be like crossing a minefield, requiring the dexterity of a gymnast and the graces of a diplomat to pass by those engaged in air kisses and who-is- fabulous-now conversations.

It's all a relief when the show begins.... The reason I came is to see the artistry of the designers I admire. And yet, not everyone is looking at the runway; some are looking at who is looking at them!!! All too soon it is over, in a blur.

It is not all bad, but it is work to attend a fashion show and write about it. Making sense of what I've seen, culling through the good, bad and the ugly to define the trends and colours takes effort and it is easy to be distracted by the fashionable firestorm around me.

In the end, I am glad that I can hover close to the web of fashion but have a strong enough sense of self to not get wrapped up in it. Taking an academic approach to fashion suits me well. It fuels my art practice and I actually enjoy the hours I spend in the ROM and University of Toronto libraries conducting research. I don't have to dress up for this but I do anyway as an expression of my personality. I might not be one of the fabulous few, but I like who I am.

P.S. To read another perspective on this event, read this post Cinderella at the Ball by my clever and witty friend and neighbour Annie.

LG Fashion Week 2011 Opening Night Gala

Finale Holt Renfrew Presents Can't Live without Canadian Fashion 2011

We Canadians are a humble people. Not given to loud swagger, we simply do our thing and mind our business. But damn it, we should be proud of the many talent Canadian designers in our midst. Tonight during Holt Renfrew's runway presentation called Can't Live without Canadian Fashion for the opening night of LG Fashion Week 2011, I was in awe of the huge talent in evidence. Many of the looks by labels such as Greta Constantine, Smythe, Lida Baday and Todd Lynn could have come from the runways of New York, London or Milan.

Fall-winter 2011 in Canada will be a season of cocooning with cowls, fur, and draping in abundance. The grays and blacks were punctuated by beautiful deep reds and bright olive greens. I  almost wish I could wear these fabulous looks right now as we await more spring like weather in Toronto.

Lida Baday FW 2011 at LG Fashion Week

This is an outfit I hope to wear to work or perhaps for my speech for the American Costume Society Mid-west Conference. Check out the cool olive green socks and heels! What an elegant way to avoid blisters and cold feet!

Smythe FW 2011 at LG Fashion Week

And I think I'll take this Smythe outfit for my next trip to Aspen.

Me walking the red carpet in a Lida Baday skirt at LG Fashion Week

I'm still reveling in the glow of all that fabulous fashion, champagne and swag. Not surprisingly, it will be tough to get up to go to work tomorrow!