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"Are you looking inside my clothes, or looking inside my soul?"
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Bella Chen
Look Inside
KE ZHANG: Can you briefly talk about the "Look Inside" series? How do you bring your thinking about "feminism" or "women's freedom to dress" into the design?
BELLA CHEN: The word “纯欲” (innocent and cute, but also sexy and alluring) is popular on Chinese social media, and it expresses girlish "sexy of innocence" and “sexy of alluring”. People seem to like the contrast of women, but the judgment of women's clothing has never stopped. So, where exactly is the dress code for women considered provocative? What is considered inappropriate and what is considered inappropriate? Why do people criticize and even belittle attractive women? In this series, " "Look Inside?" not only represents a stage in a woman's life, but also represents a transitional stage of continuing to grow. All display and showing off have become more certain and powerful. At the same time, it explores the differences between youth and maturity, softness and rigidity. and blending in. These pieces empower women while retaining their innocent and girlish side.​
Look Inside
BELLA CHEN: When the audience sees the clothes, it becomes clear who they are through their feedback on the clothes—are they the ones who see the legs and the boobs? I still see the power that clothes bring to them. It's a test because instead of trying to change people, the series invites conversation and reflection. Just like the name of this series —— “are you looking inside my clothes, or looking inside of my soul?"
Hyperplasia
KE ZHANG: Can you briefly talk about your graduation work series, "Increase", how did you explore the connection between clothing design and the human body through design and fabrics?
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BELLA CHEN: In this series I created during the epidemic and there are three different kinds of looks. The first set of my tank tops featured bumpy holes in the front, symbolizing my physical and mental growth and evolution. The black grid fabric represents both protection and restriction. It turned on my defenses but at the same time restricted my communication with others. The patterns on my clothing are made from ginkgo leaves, which originated in China, and represent my personal identity. Humans have twelve pairs of ribs which are critical parts for supporting the body structure and protecting internal organs. I used the whalebone to show the ribs inside the body trying to protect me. All cotton stuffed with sheer colorful stretch fabrics represent the softest side of me. I have always had a distorted and contradictory attitude towards the epidemic in Western countries and Eastern countries, so I designed this double-faced coat to show how I feel inside when all the confusing information is thrown at me. I can't get my mind clear, instead I felt all my thoughts proliferating randomly in my body until I needed to tear my body apart so that all of this could be seen by the world.
Flower Pillow Bag
KE ZHANG: Please briefly talk about "flower pillow bag". As an early work, what was your design thinking and language at that time?
BELLA CHEN: In fact, my early works were mainly humorous. The inspiration came from the fact that I was too tired to sit for 6 hours in class critique, and I wanted an extension of a pillow lying on the table. Wouldn't it be great if I had a pillow bag that I could take with me wherever I went? And it can be a bag that can be carried wherever you go. Especially for me personally, I must carry a backpack even if I don’t bring anything, because it gives me a sense of security. In the flower pillow bag, I still thoughtfully made a pocket for my mobile phone, because basically carrying a mobile phone can solve all problems when I go out. The most important thing is that I hope that my works can give everyone a little respite and time to slow down in this high-speed society. You can enjoy your own time occasionally, you can stop when you want to stop, put down the burden of your backpack, and have a beautiful afternoon nap.
Subway
KE ZHANG: Photography and fashion design are very different media. Costume design is a long-term art form that has undergone countless scrutiny, while the intuitive and instant response in the photography process is a very important factor. For you, what are the differences between these two media in terms of artistic expression and creative process?
BELLA CHEN: For me personally, the research theme of fashion design is often very close to my own life, starting from myself to study some questions about society, or questions about myself. From the initial research and drawing design of clothing design, to the subsequent pattern-making and draping, to the selection of fabrics and accessories, to the final sewing, every process is going through thinking. I am always asking myself, why should I design this way or why use such a fabric. In my design process, every step represents something. Finally, it leads to thinking about society. Photography is more like holding a ticket to explore and understand other people's lives. The moment the shutter is pressed carries an entire story line that is not limited by time. I often talk with people through the medium of the camera, and maybe I can hear their different stories from the ones recorded in the photos.
Welcome to Chicago
KE ZHANG: Photography and fashion design are very different media. Costume design is a long-term art form that has undergone countless scrutiny, while the intuitive and instant response in the photography process is a very important factor. For you, what are the differences between these two media in terms of artistic expression and creative process?
BELLA CHEN: For me personally, the research theme of fashion design is often very close to my own life, starting from myself to study some questions about society, or questions about myself. From the initial research and drawing design of clothing design, to the subsequent pattern-making and draping, to the selection of fabrics and accessories, to the final sewing, every process is going through thinking. I am always asking myself, why should I design this way or why use such a fabric. In my design process, every step represents something. Finally, it leads to thinking about society. Photography is more like holding a ticket to explore and understand other people's lives. The moment the shutter is pressed carries an entire story line that is not limited by time. I often talk with people through the medium of the camera, and maybe I can hear their different stories from the ones recorded in the photos.
INTERVIEWER: KE ZHANG
CURATOR: KE ZHANG, WANTONG YAO
EDITOR: KE ZHANG, CHENYU LIN
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: VIVI SHEN
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Bella Chen is a BFA graduated from SAIC. Her design philosophy is to regard clothing as an important way to express one's inner world and values, but it is more about making people think rather than trying to change people's thinking. She focus on women's dressing. While exploring women's identities and roles in different social and cultural environments, She try to use silhouettes to express stories and convey different emotions and images. Her design works are derived and continuously developed and interrelated. Each work has its own story and theme, but they are all dedicated to exploring women's identity and values, and at the same time thinking about the place of men in a patriarchal society. The resulting female self-loathing and gynogenesis toward other females. She combine shapes, materials and colors to create unique clothing styles that lead people to explore their inner and outer worlds. Through clothing, a medium we come into contact with every day, She believe that people can relate to it more and cast more eyes on it. What She want to do is not to control and change, but to resonate and think. She hope to bring joy and beauty to people, as well as a deeper understanding and awareness of themselves and the world.