FW 20 & SS 21

“We have never been able to control time. Time is flowing, yet we need to become part of the flow.” Folk Art Museum of China Academy of Fine Art, Cocoon Tea Room, The Opposite House…Inspired by the oriental aesthetics contained in Architect Kengo Kuma’s work, Designer PJ constructed the subject concept of 2020 Autumn/Winter and 2021 Spring/Autumn Series-“hidden in forms”, namely the status of `’being hidden in nature and subjectivity`’. This is a return in destruction as well as an experiment in construction.

In the new series, PJ uses form, instead of content, as method to catch the “hidden part” in the “form”. This challenge lies in getting rid of the shape and retaining the core. In other words, what we perceive is no longer a specific colour, cutting or fabric of clothing, but time hidden in these forms.

Kengo Kuma’s design is seemingly lonely, however its content is a kind of primitive spiritual desire-“hidden but rebellious, rebellious yet true”. It is crazy, vigorous and impulsive; its form ambiguous yet order distinct. PJ integrates organic form and natural pattern with the design of the new series. As same as architecture, clothing also bears multi-dimensional spatial relations: here the “hidden part” “seems motionless yet truly dynamic” and “rebellious” means “rebellious but true”.

The Covid-19 pandemic which started in the end of last year and the beginning of this year is a crisis, but also a transition. With orders, habits and normal status of life destroyed, human beings have fallen into an unprecedented abnormal, isolated and lonely situation. As “isolated island”, people skipped over form itself and started the journey inward. PJ, same as all other people, has been suffering and longing for breakthrough and comfort. Therefore, she initiated the “hidden in forms” series and started a creative return journey.

Fashion is not only the object of gaze, but also the subject of attitude. The so-called “hidden in forms” further breaks the fixed pattern of subject and object. It is hide and discovery, wait and pursuit, here and there, focus and defocus, paradox and harmony…”Hidden in forms” is not seeing nothing, but seeing more from “invisibility”.