We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Jessica Zhengjia Hu about their original and creative Womenswear Collection design work. Jessica Zhengjia Hu is an award-winning fashion designer, that makes our world a better place with their original womenswear collection works.
Jessica Zhengjia Hu ("JZH") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Rebirth Womenswear Collection. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
JZH : This collection was inspired a famous line in Shelley’s poet “Ode to the West Wind”. It says, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” When we mention winter, it is usually described as a dull and faded period. Plants wither and decompose during the season. Unlike other seasons, winter might be a boring period with less vigor and vitality. However, I believe there is power of life and energy hidden behind the winter season, inside the branches, or beneath the ice and snow. In this collection I wanted to share the lively spirit of winter with creative details and stylish tones. I wish to show that winter should not be associated with decline. It may be the hope of dawn and rebirth of a year.
JZH : Less is more, the key idea of minimalist design, is the main principle of this collection. The main idea is to keep everything simple by taking advantage of clear silhouettes and clean garment outlines. Simple silhouettes generate fresh and cool visual appearance. Slightly exaggerated and asymmetric structures add highlights to the looks. Colors are selected from low saturated greyish tomes which can neutralize color temperatures to provide more gentle feeling for the looks.
JZH : I want to modify and update these garments with 3D tools. Hopefully I can present this collection on virtual characters in the coming future.
JZH : It took me couple days to determine the concept thesis, then couple weeks to finish the design.
JZH : I have heard people around me complaining about the winter season. They thought it was cold, bored and had less vitality. However, I found the spirit of winter matching with the minimalist idea quite well. It may seem bored when the grounds are covered with snow, but if we watch closely, we will find beautiful patterns hidden inside the tiny snowflakes. In terms of clothing, thick clothes are not always necessary to be bulky and clumsy. They can be simple, easy and yet creative and interesting. Therefore, I decided to make a collection to show the attractiveness of winter by applying the minimalist concept “less is more”.
JZH : The collection is designed for my own womenswear brand “Jessture”.
JZH : As a designer, I wish all wearers can feel comfortable to express their own aesthetics and feel good about themselves when wearing these products. Oversized structures and asymmetric details add interesting highlights to the garments. Morandi tonal colors make the garments easier to match and therefore offering more flexibility to the looks.
JZH : The art works of Giorgio Morandi, and his color scheme.
JZH : Women who have minimalist aesthetics and want to be creative on personal styles.
JZH : The highlights of this collection are the asymmetric structures and oversized details such as big sized buttons, enlarged Velcro loop closures, and hems with extra length. These structures and details help create visual tension to the garments.
JZH : I named it “Rebirth” because I believe winter should not be associated with decline. It is lively with beautiful hidden surprises. I see it as the rebirth of a new year.
JZH : I used Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to draft sketches and technical flats.
JZH : Contrasts between simple silhouettes and oversized details.
JZH : I design the collection all by myself. And I collaborate with pattern and sewing studios for sample making.
JZH : In this design, the biggest effect of technology applied during the fabric sourcing process. Innovated woolen and cashmere fabrics with improved weaving and finishing techniques increased the softness of the textiles. Coats and sweaters made of these woolen and cashmere knits were less stiff and thus providing better hand feeling.
JZH : Color theory and color psychology are important techniques for fashion design. In this collection, color scheme was carefully studied and selected based on my research about Morandi’s art works and his color palette. Low saturated colors could fit in the winter atmosphere well. And the quality of high compatibility allowed Morandi colors to blend with each other easily. Applying tonal shades increased layer depth and stereovision of the pieces. In this way, the garments could have simple and neat silhouettes, while those tonal shades and colors provided visual tension for the entire looks at the same time.
JZH : The challenge in this project was to keep everything as simple as possible without diminishing the aesthetic properties of the garments.
JZH : I joined A Design Award competition last year, and it was a very precious experience for me. It was my honor to compete with excellent and talented designers from different countries with different interests and cultural backgrounds. It was a great opportunity to learn from their ideas, techniques and presentation skills. I widened my vision and learned a lot from other fellow designers and their works in this competition.
JZH : I had a chance to review the whole design process of this project while preparing materials for this competition. My previous presentation of this collection was too brief and simple, focusing mostly on the appearance of the design. When I typed up the project descriptions for the A Design Award competition, I spent more time thinking deeper in terms of the concepts, the connections between each process, as well as the interaction between products and wearers.
JZH : I hope we all have the courage to choose what we like and be who we are.
