Interviews with Tingyu Hu

Before focusing on 2D and 3D art, I was more into stage art like playing the piano and dancing ballet. I was deeply influenced by classical music and aesthetics, Tchaikovsky, 'Little Women', 'Little Princess', you name it. Later on, during my teenage era, I explored Japanese street fashion and historical gowns and it was the beginning of everything. I learned to draw anime figures and then moved on to draw fashion illustrations when I got enough skills. Fashion design is one of my dreams in my childhood, but in my early teen era, I considered that an unrealistic wish. After I got accepted by Pratt Institute in 2016, I finally realized my childhood dream is come true.

Everything beautiful. Keeping it in my style is my top priority. No matter which form, Ready-to-wear pieces, historical remakes, or more-conceptual garments and accessories, but most of the styles are inspired by historical fashion and movies. I am an old-school person, so 90% of my work relies on hand tasks, and it also influences my fabric choices too. I collect vintage trims and my favorite fabrics are cotton sateen and lace, every time I use them, it gives me a feeling of 'home'. But most of all, concepts are the starting points of everything. I enjoy mass researching on every point I brainstormed of, and move forward from that.

Peace or euphoria. Most of the time is bittersweet. The beginning is always exciting, then I dive into difficulties with selecting ideas, and the development is relatively impatient for me, and after the struggles, I try to let the result comes with 100% satisfaction.

Usually the collection of books about my favorite artists and designers inspired me a lot, and literature and poems of 20th-century modernism, Virginia Woolf, Jean Cocteau, Paul Celan, and books that stimulate my brain with vivid visions, and books about art history. About fashion designers, Runway shows by Comme des Garcons and Maison Margiela. The structure and fabric manipulation are always amazing. Every time after watching their shows, I want to create. And my passion for historical and slow fashion, keeps me creating conceptual pieces and garments that consume much time with handy crafts.

In the future, I want to focus more on making wearable art pieces, by using the techniques of making installations so that I could try more heavy materials. I am still on the way to discovering possibilities, whether it is opening a studio for making ballet costumes or taking commissions to make performance costumes in general, but for sure I am going to do more historical reconstruction to explore more in historical fashion.

Art and design are like labor. To keep it as a habit, do some little practice like writings and doodling in journals, and research art every day to keep me in the atmosphere of creating art and absorbing things. And When you feel something is not right, stop immediately and think over it before you continue.

To learn how to promote yourselves, but before that, you need to have enough work and build a portfolio. Moreover, you need to understand who is your target customer and what kind of role you are in the industry, such as your strengths and weaknesses. It is not necessary to be good at anything, one or two strengths and developing them to full scale is more important.

I look at the trend but set up a boundary that I do not want to take too much influence from it. You could say that designing a collection based on the current trend is a strategy though, but in my opinion the most important thing fo r a designer is to keep his/her style under the wave of fashion.

Put it there and look at it one or two days after. If there is anything I need to fix, then continue to make it till I am satisfied with it; if everything looks fine, then it is enough, I can stop here. I often dig up older projects and think of alternative way to interpret them. Usually, I have multiple projects going on in my head, and sometimes ideas from other projects could inspire me too.

Personally, I prefer designers who create the work with deep research behind it. Alexander McQueen and Rei Kawakubo are two examples. As for McQueen the rich historical information behind every collection and the idea of presenting it through performance, every time I watched the video of his past shows it still haunts my mind, I just can not get it off my mind. For Kawakubo, she breaks the boundary that most of her runway pieces do not look like an 'ordinary' garment, her interpretation of every technique that we are used to seeing is like an earthquake to the audiences. I respect every designer who brings the strong visual impact but also balances it with beauty.

I would say I am a world citizen, in a conceptual way. If I am not a designer, I might dive into comparative literature or social science like anthropology. Literature is one of my major inspiration resources, and it is always my hobby to write, while I am keen on researching histories and cultures of every corner of the world. My internet background influences me to build up my aesthetic system but living in a foreign country definitely broadened my views about different topics that I did not think about before, and it gradually influences me on many aspects.

To avoid the literal interpretation or similar techniques of 1930s surrealism fashion, I edit down ideas that are too superficial or easy to look at and balance the fine art side and the apparel side. In this project, I experiment with a lot of draping of asymmetrical shapes and tests of fabric to figure out the best choice for a certain silhouette.

De Chirico has been one of my favorite artists since the first time I saw his work in a book during high school, his unique style with the contrast between enormous space and tiny figures haunts my brain. And when I was watching 'The Red Shoes', the 'damsel in distress' vibe gives me the inspiration that I want to put the ballerina figure into the enormous space. The eerie atmosphere and the pure beauty create an interesting chemical, and these visions keep stuck in my mind that I need to bring it to the real world.

As I mentioned, I looked up many 1930s surrealism fashions by Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, and Mugler's works in the 80s and 90s. They are straightforward and relatively literal speaking of the idea of surrealism. But I want to do something more like a ready-to-wear piece, so I try to avoid making it too 'literal'. I also researched many surrealism photos of 1930s and realized the dramatic lighting and styling ideas. These influenced me a lot when I am preparing for the photoshoot.

Standing in front of 'The Melancholy of Departure' by De Chirico at MOMA and wondering what does it look like when is a ballerina trying to escape from De Chirico's paintings? And thinking of how is it possible to add multiple dimensions to garments, like the dream world in 'Blood of a Poet'? By analyzing the geometrical elements in De Chirico's paintings and reading his artist theory, with the whimsical feeling, the little sculpture on the arm, and the contrast between the softness of pale pink and lined silhouette, my narrative is presented through every detail.

I focus on how dimensional a garment could be while keeping the balance of movement and abstraction. I use bonings to construct a 3D illusion and choose transparent fabric to increase the layers of the garment so that emphasizes the concept of 'dimension';, such as double knit layering, tulle over canvas, and beige lace over pink cotton sateen. About the techniques, crafts are always a major style so I combine silkscreens and hand-embroidery to add some raw and playful feel to make the contrast with the strict color palette. There is a piece of a canvas short skirt, when you look at it on the profile, there is a 3D triangle shape, and on the skirt, it is a 12-hour hand embroidery of all the embellishments, which is one of my favorite in this collection.

My friend Ziyi Li introduces me to my photographer Sha Luo, and we communicated a lot about details for the photoshoot. I do not know a lot about lighting, so she researched it well. And since we are on a budget, finally we agreed that setting up installations is not realistic for us, so we retouched the photos to make the idea of 'multi-dimension' came true. I am responsible for the styling, and Sha helped me to find the make-up artist (Shiyao Liu), model (PJ), and assistants (Gianna Chun and Xiang Cheng). It was a very pleasant photoshoot and everything goes fluently we even finish it before the estimated time, which is the first time in my life.

To push myself out of the boundary. I used to worry about if the garment is too crafty, too like costume that did not perfectly balance with functionality, or over-designed. But in this process, I realized sometimes it is important to forget about the rules others tell me and switch to a subconscious mode and release my thoughts. And it was the first time I draped something with a lot of tiny 3D details, so I struggled with pattern making and thinking about the finishing inside. Now I looked back there is still something I am not 100% satisfied with, but it was a phase in which I challenged myself, which is vital for a designer to grow.

The urge to present my aesthetical world to reality and the visions looping in my brain. I need to find a way to express it or it would be an unborn child stuck in my mind.

Everything beautiful. Ready-to-wear pieces, historical remakes, or more-conceptual garments and accessories, but most of the styles are inspired by historical fashion and movies. In the future, I want to focus more on making wearable art pieces, by using the techniques of making installations so that I could try more heavy materials.

To have a strong personal style so that people could point out the designer's name when they see that design piece.

Like some designs with innovative technology, if the goal of the design is to change the world and bring people happiness and better living condition, then it would be something I am interested in investing in the future.

Design stage costumes for my favorite artists like Arika Takarano of Ali Project is my ultimate dream.

Construct historical gowns of every era from ancient times till the 1950s with hand-sewn embellishments, accessories, underwear, and shoes, sadly I do not have time for all of them.

Personally, I prefer designers who create the work with deep research behind it. Alexander McQueen and Rei Kawakubo are two examples. As for McQueen the rich historical information behind every collection and the idea of presenting it through performance, every time I watched the video of his past shows it still haunts my mind, I just can not get it off my mind. For Kawakubo, she breaks the boundary that most of her runway pieces do not look like an 'ordinary' garment, her interpretation of every technique that we are used to seeing is like an earthquake to the audiences. I respect every designer who brings the strong visual impact but also balances it with beauty.

I might dive into comparative literature or social science like anthropology. Literature is one of my major inspiration resources, and it is always my hobby to write, while I am keen on researching histories and cultures of every corner of the world.

Design needs to find out some real issues and solves them. It is more to think of the 'aim', unlike art has more freedom without concerning too much about the customers. Except for these points, for me, design is an alternative way of expressing myself and my outlook and exploring the possibilities of originality.

The curiosity about the world and the desire to express my feelings.

To present it as an art piece, including the beginning and developments, and the final product would be better if be presented with different mediums, like videos, physical product, and texts for explaining the concept behind it.

To create something that perfectly combine my abstract thoughts that are relatively hard to transfer to visual languages and let people feel deeply empathized.

For the fashion industry is the relatively low salary compares to other design industries like interior and product designers. It is a common issue for industries that are not on the hot topic or it is just too many supplies over the demand, which also means, people in the fashion industry are not treated with the same respect.

They influence each other. Trends, like the outfits people wear on the street, designers could analyze it and take it as inspiration for next season, or some famous designers and fashion brands would express the signals of the 'trend' of next season so that people would be influenced by that as well.

They need to create a resonation and reflect the ambiance of the design. If we say characters, description and narrative are the scaffoldings of a novel, then color, materials, and the silhouette are three major elements of a garment. With them all together, the design is a kind of storytelling.

Usually are the collection books about my favorite artists and designers as mentioned above, literature and poems of 20th century modernism, Virginia Woolf, Jean Cocteau, Paul Celan, and books that stimulates my brain with vivid visions, and books about art history.

It is hard and unpredictable.

Colors: crimson, off-white, baby blue, golden, ballet pink. Place: Waterside, libraries, museums, theatres. Season: spring. Things: the smell of humid air, my book and cd collections, my vintage dresses, receipts and tickets of places I have been to.

To keep it as a habit, do some little practice like writings and doodling in journals, and research art every day to keep me in the atmosphere of creating art and absorbing things. And whenever I have time, I need to sit in front of my desk to create it out without rest, or my mind would lose its track.

“Alice’s Brain” was born in 2012, a project, designer, and multi-media artist. From the deep within, she wishes to keep imaginative and adventurous like Alice in ‘Alice's Adventure in Wonderland'. It is the persona I turn into when I am creating things.

To bring my imagination to the world with the functionality.

Conceptual pieces and garments, or pure historical remakes that consume much time with handy crafts to satisfy my inner maximalist ego. During the process of making it physically, I can think of other possibilities and forms to pursue the concept I would like to express to the world so it will become a series with a complete view.

Runway shows by Iris Van Herpen, Simone Rocha, Comme des Garcons and Maison Margiela. The structure and fabric manipulation are always amazing. Every time after watching their shows, I want to create.

Combining elements that seem 'oxymorons' is my design trait. For fabric, it is heaviness and softness, modernity and vintage, structure and fragility. Cotton sateen and lace are the most used material in my works. Especially lace, every time I touch it I would have the feeling of 'home'.

After seeing an inspiring art exhibition, after watching slow-paced poetic movies from the last century, after reading abstract poems and literature, or when my brain is relaxing.

Peace or euphoria. Most of the time is bittersweet.

No matter which form, physical or not, designers could refresh people's minds and let people think about the future, which is the practical aspect of design, or designers could also resonate with people's emotions or experiences. The most important point is 'communication'.

History of art, political events, literature, music, mood, photography, poems, and historical fashion. Social media helps a lot with discovering the beauties that are far away from my background I always find my peace in the embrace of 'exotic' things. With daily research, I have an enormous and non-stopping resource in my brain. My personal experience is a feed of my inspiration too. After digesting them by writing it down in journals, the experience would transfer visual language. But keeping the curiosity about the world is the most important one.

Combing the chaos and strictness, asymmetry and peace, purity and decay, history and modernity, romanticism and functionality, imagination and reality.

Currently, I am trying to balance my creating and living. I start my day by checking the social media accounts that post artists and fashion news, then I go to work. Keep having random flashbacks of movies, quotes from books, music pieces or a dream I had in the morning unconsciously when I am on my train is the way to extract the inspiration that I need to bore it to the real world, and it is like a kind of catharsis. After I go back home, I spend a few hours collecting inspiration and thinking about the development of the project I want to work on. So I am living two lives on the same day, it is my approach to save my imagination and creativity, to make it as a habit.

When you feel something is not right, stop immediately and think over it before you continue.

Transferring an idea to visuals and building it to a final product.

Very long. I am a perfectionist, so it takes a longer period than others to think over and over, then I finally decide which idea I would finally choose, and making it out is also consuming. For example, I made a ballet tutu last year, and it takes one month of inconstant beading, so counting the time is not something I focus on. I just want everything to take a slow pace but I am really satisfied with.

Intern at Vera Wang taught me so much with real-hand experiences such as hand sewing. These are the skills that are not taught in school. Working with experts of the field during the first internship will be remembered forever in my life.

Through my email alicesbrain0311@gmail.com or instagram @dollylikeingenue.