Olivier Theyskens presents the final part of his triptych of collections during Paris Fashion Week ...
View Post
“An idylic story told through poetry” or the definition of Xuan Paris brand is today’s discovery FM24 wishes to unravel to its readers.
The FM24 team, ChristinaV Henningstad and Olga Khlybova-Gasnier, has made a quick visit to the studio in Paris where Xuan designs come to life ready to rock the next fashion show. They were warmly welcomed by the designer herself, Xuan-Thu Nguyen, ready to open up about fashion topics in a friendly and inspiring interview dedicated to FM24.
Let’s see how it went…
1.Fashion Magazine 24: Hello Xuan ! We are happy to visit your creation universe and spend some time talking about our favourite subject: fashion!
Xuan-Thu Nguyen: I am thrilled aswell to have you here today and dedicate this quality time to the domain that has connected us in the first place.
2.FM24: Let’s start the interview with a quick challenge … Describe yourself in only one word!
Xuan: Myself as a person? Oh, that is not so easy, haha…So i will extend it to two words: different personalities! I think that would be the best short description about myself.
3.FM24: What is your vision as a designer?
Xuan: I would say my vision is always born in the way i feel at that time. Every collection that i create is a projection of my feelings and my inner growth as a person and as a designer from that period of time. Sometimes it takes two or more collections to express through my designs the complexity of what i feel. This is why i described myself earlier by the “different personalities”. Indeed i can be an eclectic and contradictory person, a fact that can be easily seen in my designer work.
4.FM24: So we can conclude that your source of inspiration are in fact your personalities? Are they the roots of your creativity and complexity?
Xuan: Yes, it all gravitates around how i am feeling and developing at that moment. Sometimes it is a feeling that dictates the collection, sometimes it is the colour. I never explain to the public the personal story behind the collection, i prefer to let everyone connect to the designs in their own particular way or guess the inspirational essence i had behind each collection.
5.FM24: Thank you for explaining this to the FM24 readers! Regarding this present collection, can you tell us what is special about it?
Xuan: This collection is inspired by everything going on around us and it is structured on 4 concepts, each of them representing a life aspect and element: earth, wind, fire, air as in symbols of inner growth and life construction, evolution and blossoming – symbols that can be seen in each look.
6.FM24: In the previous and present collections the models were wearing masks, is that a metaphor to hiding those different personalities?
Xuan: Yes, the models are very important to express the collection theme but this time it felt like i had not been prepared to show the full personality of the collection even though i had used a black background to highlight each piece during the show.The mask creates a sensation of wanting to discover more about what lies behind it because it reveals that there is a secret waiting to be discovered.
7.FM24: And what is your opinion regarding the Digital Fashion Week?
Xuan: I kind of liked the idea because it came along with the typical excitement and curiosity regarding any new trend whose results you cannot wait to see materialised. So i was very curious about it and i can say that for my collection it worked out quite well because it let me explore my vision in a more artistic way than a physical show would have allowed. But i do miss the physical shows, the connection you have with the people who come to attend the shows and the special vibe only live shows can offer.
8.FM24: And regarding the future seasons, do you plan to keep up with the digital idea aswell or you refuse sticking to this trend?
Xuan: I do not know what to say about how the future shows will look like.It is all so new. What i can say is that people want to go back to the classic live shows especially after such a long period of time of staying inside their houses when there was no physical connection. So in the light of these feelings i would say i would return to the physical ones. But you cannot know what the future brings, it might be a combination of both, digital and physical, we have no idea what the FHCM (Fédération de la Haute Couture de la Mode) decides. A combo of the two ways could also work, we will see how this challenge transforms things!
9.FM24: And now, a more personal question just like the first one…Do you have a muse?
Xuan: I think all women are muses for me. What i can state is that for me as an artist the character and personality of a person is what inspires me the most and it is far more important to me than the actual look.
10.FM24: How do you chacarterize your clients?
Xuan: This is indeed a very interesting topic i am happy to answer. I can say that i am one of the designers who has a wide range of client types: from young ladies to mature women. And i feel that it is the best to experience that as a designer. Like this you have the proof that almost any person can relate in a way to something they see in your creations.
11.FM24: And what can you say about the way you changed from your beginings as a designer up to this present time?
Xuan: Well, you definetely grow up. You get smarter, haha. You get more mature, consequently your style changes a little bit, too. As years pass, you gain more knowledge, your technique improves and this can be seen in the final results. But the process of learning never stops, so every season comes with challenges, emotions and that particular thrill of doubt that makes us permanently wish for better and better.
12.FM24: Do you remember the best advice that was given to you as a designer?
Xuan: I think there are a lot of them! Of course you have to believe in yourself, stick to your vision and … keep going!
13.FM24: How do you see the future in fashion?
Xuan: For the couture collections the changes will not be major as we are talking about the top level in fashion and creativity which will not be touched too much as it had not been in the past either. Still, i see many changes in the daily level fashion.People have started to be more and more aware about how things are produced, about the stories behind it.Therefore their choices will be wiser and their focus will be on quality instead of quantity.
14. FM24: What are the tendencies you see in fashion nowadays after the lockdown? And what is your advice for the emerging designers?
Xuan: Well, regarding style it will all get more individual and people will focus on details more than before. Regarding concept, people will make fashion choices based on how much they identify themselves with the designers vision.
And my best advice i can give to newcomer designers is “Believe in yourself, keep on going and …. have fun”. No matter how dedicated and hardworking you are, it is extremely important to never lose the fun in what you do. It is what keeps us moving ahead as the road to success is not an easy one at all.
15.FM24: Thank you so much for all these great insights and if you ever plan on writing a book, we would be your first buyers.
Xuan: Thank you aswell and you just gave me an idea! You and the FM24 readers will be the first to know!
Designer: XUAN @xuan_paris Article edit: Fashion Magazine 24
Photographer: Christina V Henningstad @christina_henningstad
Photographer: Olga Khlybova-Gasnier @aglography
Reporter: Catwalkshows Productions @catwalkshows
Carissa
always i used to read smaller posts which as well clear
their motive, and that is also happening with this article
which I am reading at this place.