Rhiannon D’Averc spoke to Jenn Lee after her show, in the first of several interviews with Dyelog PR’s designers. Photographs by Sophie Hu

LR: First of all, tell us about your collection and the inspiration behind it.

Jenn: My concept was women’s liberation, and my inspiration came from old Chinese foot binding, used to restrain the woman’s feet and stop her from walking. I wanted to use this element to send a message and encourage women to have a positive energy and self-confidence. Foot- binding is also related to sex fetishes, so in my print I played with the pornographic sort of thing. I have sperm and a whip, but not in a very obvious way. Also, I collected a lot of old used women’s bodywear to remake. I wanted to think about our Mother Earth, so I made them into the dresses, and I also used eco-friendly fabric to relate it to sustainable fashion.

LR: You used some alternative models to what we would normally see on the runway, and that’s a really feminist statement, too.

Jenn: Because our brand is always about how women need to
encourage the empowerment of themselves, so I like to mix and match different types of models. We have the alternatives, as you say it, and models who are older, but I feel that every type of woman has their own beauty. I want to send this kind of positive message to everyone.

LR: Amazing. Finally, how does Taipei Fashion Week compare to London?

Jenn: I studied in England before, but this is the first time I had a fashion show abroad, so it really means a lot to me. The Taipei Fashion Week – it’s difficult to say, because we did a lot of things flying around [to prepare for LFW], and I’m exhausted! In Taipei, everything is organised okay, we need to meet the models and everything, so it’s another experience.