Chinese couturier Buerlangma’s creations usher in a retrospective on fashion and a 3D outlook of the future.
“I never think that being young is an advantage. There is only a limited number of keys on a piano and thus there is only a limited number of beautiful songs” expresses the Chinese design duo Buerlangma, one of the most expressive couturiers in Asia. Their 3D creations, redefining the past and the future in a beautiful dichotomy, drawing main inspiration from a favourite era of theirs, the 1980s.
Speaking to Perfect, Buerlangma discuss further their complete rebrand and the decision to change the course of their collections, alongside expressing the beauty behind the chaos of creation, embracing the method of creation in the moment, pinching, sewing and draping from emotion and feelings.
Angel: What were your first feelings and thoughts about fashion, how did you get introduced to the industry?
Buerlangma: I have always believed that fashion is a sort of protection, just like many animals have evolved strange colours in nature. Fashion is our shell, a natural, evolved culture. If we imagine modern art as a rain forest and humans as some kind of tropical tree frog, fashion is the colour of the frog's skin, which deters enemies and confuses prey. Therefore, I have always understood fashion as an epochal weapon that enables everyone to be themselves and provides a sense of security in the meantime. As for how I entered this business, I honestly don't know, I didn't major in fashion and I dropped out in high school. I was quite rebellious back then and I went shopping, bought clothes, and pursued trends every day. Eventually, one day I felt that there are no more clothes I want to buy on the market, or say I believed that most of the clothes on the market are not fashionable enough. Under such a circumstance, I tried to design clothes so I could satisfy myself since no one could satisfy me. Afterward, I discovered that I had a certain talent in designing clothes, thus I began to look for videos online to learn about clothes production every day, from plate-making to three-dimensional tailoring to fabric knowledge, I was immersed in this new world, Finally, I made my first series half a year later, which was supported many magazines and stars, and I officially started my design career.
Angel: How did you start out with your fashion designs and sketches?
Buerlangma: I will share some of my sketches with you. I draw them using my iPad, the most effortless way! The iPad has always been my favourite device and it has never changed. I always feel that the iPad is like an old friend of mine though many people have persuaded me to use a more professional device. Maybe it is not that powerful yet it suits me and makes me feel comfortable. My sketches have always been simple and easy to understand because I don't have too much professional knowledge to produce overly abstract ones.
Angel: You are one of the youngest couture designers in China, what are the difficulties and advantages to being in that position?
Buerlangma: I never think that being young is an advantage. There is only a limited number of keys on a piano and thus there is only a limited number of beautiful songs. Often, I found that my excellent idea was similar to someone else’s 20 years ago, which actually annoyed me. Therefore, I wish I was born in the 80s if possible. Also, I have to think about whether the formal dresses are acceptable to the market when I start designing my couture collections, which is quite contradictory because when a designer wants to do a couture collection, a designer should have a free creative space instead of considering the market all the time like designing RTW when working on couture collections. However, the reality is that couture collections belong to a more refined and accurate market and I need to consider more. This business is very costly and I have to amplify the artistry as much as possible for my clientele under acceptable conditions.
Angel: Do you have a particular process of inspiration? How do you create your process?
Buerlangma: I still have no inspiration or say I have numerous inspirations yet I don’t know which one is the best. Therefore, when you look at all my series, you may wonder why certain two skirts appear together? Yes, I can't control myself to focus only on one thing. If I could, I wouldn’t enter the fashion business in the first place. Now, almost all my designs are carried out on the dress form and my thinking mode has switched from plane to three-dimensional. It is huge progress, at least for me. I will pinch the cloth into the shape I like with my hands and sew them together on the dress form piece by piece, or carry out 3D modeling. In short, I rarely draw floor plans now.
Angel: How do you see the growth of your collections in the near future?
Buerlangma: What I can say is that I have made many breakthroughs in the next season, namely, AW22, at least you can see a brand-new me. I have been preparing for this series for eight months. I designed it as my last series. In fact, I am not accepted by many people in this business as I’ve never been to college. Who wants to boom the popularity of a designer without professional education?
Angel: What are you also looking forward to personally?
Buerlangma: I’ve never thought about the future. There is too much work at present. I need breakthroughs, to be more professional, and have myself seen by more people. I never plan the future because I think I haven't done perfectly in the present.
