FW 20 & SS 21

“We have never been able to control time. Time is flowing, yet we need to become part of the flow.” From the Folk Art Museum of China Academy of Fine Arts to the Cocoon Tea Room and The Opposite House… Drawing inspiration from the oriental aesthetics embedded in the works of Architect Kengo Kuma, Designer PJ conceptualized the theme for the 2020 Autumn/Winter and 2021 Spring/Autumn Series as “hidden in forms”—conveying the notion of 'existing concealed within nature and subjectivity.' This is both a return through destruction and an experiment in construction.

In this new series, PJ employs form, rather than content, as a method to capture the “hidden part” within the “form.” The challenge lies in shedding the external aspects while retaining the essence. Thus, what we perceive is no longer a specific color, cut, or fabric of clothing, but the time concealed within these forms.

Kengo Kuma’s designs might appear solitary, yet their essence embodies a primal spiritual longing—"hidden yet rebellious, rebellious yet genuine." It exudes madness, vitality, and spontaneity; its form is enigmatic, yet its structure is distinct. PJ blends organic forms and natural patterns into the design of the new series. Similar to architecture, clothing also encompasses multi-dimensional spatial relationships. Here, the “hidden part” “seems motionless yet truly dynamic,” and the term “rebellious” encapsulates being “rebellious but authentic.”

The Covid-19 pandemic, which emerged at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, is a crisis and a transition. As orders, routines, and the usual rhythms of life disintegrated, humanity found itself in an unparalleled state of abnormality, isolation, and loneliness. Like an “isolated island,” people transcended mere form and embarked on an introspective journey. PJ, like everyone else, endured suffering and yearned for breakthroughs and solace. Thus, she initiated the “hidden in forms” series and embarked on a creative journey of return.

Fashion is not only an object of observation but also a subject of attitude. The term “hidden in forms” disrupts the established pattern of subject and object. It represents concealment and discovery, waiting and pursuit, presence and absence, focus and defocus, paradox, and harmony. “Hidden in forms” doesn't signify seeing nothing; rather, it signifies seeing more within “invisibility.”