An interesting phenomenon is that as the country that invented silk fabric, China has decreased the usage of silk in fashion industry during the modern ages. Most of the Chinese silk products are traditional clothings nowadays. When our designer were studying in New York, she found out that silk fabrics are expensive and unattainable there. So when she returned to China, she decided to use silk as the main fabric. PSEUDO/POEMS wanted to apply silk fabric in modern forms to reveal the vitality that could attract the younger generation with this ancient material.
Do you have a muse or particular type of woman in mind when designing?
She likes flowers, and she likes dreams.
I find your aesthetic to be quite “romantic” and your approach to fashion fairly classical, do you feel there is still room for romanticism in the context of contemporary fashion nowadays?
Fashion is often referred to as a cycle. Various trends and styles are shifting back and forth. Being romantic is actually not a style, but more like an individual characteristic and personality. Everyone has a different definition of romance, some people are outgoing, while others are more restrained. The development of the world has also made the form of romance more and more abundant. PSEUDO/POEMS uses its own way to express romance, just like any youth, elder or child.
Do you recognize your roots in Chinese culture as one of the main influences of your work?
As a Chinese designer who finished education in New York, our designer has a deeper understanding of design and culture from both Western and Eastern world. In fact, the pursuit of truth, beauty and kindness is consistent in both backgrounds. On the one hand, Western education has given us broad perspective and advanced methods to effectively realize our concept. On the other hand, the oriental background has also made our expression more delicate and subtle, which could be observed from many details. Even if PSEUDO/POEMS is trying to build a modern romantic brand, we can still find some clues from Eastern values in our design.
What’s next for PSEUDO/POEMS?
I would recommend the poem Ophelia from Arthur Rimbaud. It is our inspiration for the upcoming collection. PSEUDO/POEMS will be committed to adhering to the modern romantic design style, while incorporating more dramatic elements and bolder colors, and presenting the continued aesthetic to everyone from various angles.