As Asian diasporas and classmates, 5 fresh RCA graduates became a communal force
Although graduating in fashion design in London might seem promising with the attention end-of-year shows get, jumping into the industry as a recent graduate is just as daunting as anywhere else. Most graduates are left to themselves and much like in any creative field, success and careers aren’t handed on a silver plate for just being a trained designer. To say that fashion is competitive is an understatement, and with so much to deal with when launching a namesake label, how is someone supposed to have everything figured out right off the bat? Of course, that’s what school prepares one for, but that doesn’t take away the pressure of facing the unknown and not having a teacher, a mentor, or anyone, really, to turn to when the stress hits. Five fresh RCA alumni didn’t feel like leaving comradeship behind, not just yet, deciding to come together and form the designer collective End And And to jointly face what awaits them after graduation. As Asian diasporas and classmates, Hye Min Kim, Tae Choi, Gisele Zixuan He, Keiga Hua Hui, and Feyfey Yufei Liu thought they shared many things together and so will for the foreseeable future, as a communal force.
They will also be able to give each other feedback when they get unsure if what they work on is actually any good, or when it comes to learning the mundane aspects of their respective early entrepreneurship journey like filling in their tax returns. In some way, it will be a little like maintaining what they’ve had in school: the support from one another.
We caught up with the members of E.A.A to discuss the strength that lies within their teamwork-oriented approach.
Can you tell us a bit about why you’re drawn to fashion, and what are you hoping to achieve as a designer?
Hye Min Kim: I’ve always been fascinated by how fashion gives people the confidence to be themselves or even embody a different persona. I like the idea that through unique silhouettes and shapes, I can create a new me. I want my clothes to have their own entity and that the ones who wear them can style and reinterpret them the way they like. Ultimately it’d be great if I could help walk people through the process of finding who they are.
Tae Choi: Being born and bred in Seoul, where it has one of the most homogenous societies in the world, I’m not much different from this idea people have of East Asian men being quiet and not outgoing. Through fashion, I want to unashamedly and in all modesty celebrate that aspect of myself.
Gisele Zixuan He: Growing up, my grandfather sort of was the pillar of my family. He’s always inherently been a strong patriarchal figure through the way he acted and dressed, too. When I was studying fashion in Shanghai, Tokyo, and then London, I dared to question what it really meant to dress like a man, and portrayed in my collections a more tender version of what has traditionally been seen in menswear. What I found interesting was how clothing is indeed a way of expressing oneself as well as relating to a particular social function such as, say, fatherhood, and yet it’s also a way for someone to hide who they really are.
“I like to think that I make stupid clothes that provide an alternative to what’s commonly worn. I do this as a reaction to the constructed standard society puts on women to have to put on the “right” clothes for the right occasion.” – Feyfey Yufei Liu
Keiga Hua Hui: Before coming to London, I moved to Japan from China to study and the streetwear culture there has always had a big influence on my work. At RCA I wanted to push things forward and break fashion’s traditional means of expression. What I came up with is a digital landscape where people from different communities mix in an aim to, above all, foster cooperation.
Feyfey Yufei Liu: Fashion is just like wearable art, really. I like to think that I make stupid clothes that provide an alternative to what’s commonly worn. I do this as a reaction to the constructed standard society puts on women to have to put on the “right” clothes for the right occasion. Although we’re brought up to seek for something that fits us perfectly well, or, rather, doesn’t shock others and blend in, the opposite, the ridiculous actually is a valid, empowering option.
“By studying in the UK we were all brought up to think about our upbringing in a new way.” – Tae Choi
Although having a different design approach and core subject, each of your bodies of work is somewhat similar in that they all question conventions — and perhaps more specifically, oriental conventions — to essentially foster a strong sense of personal, artistic identity. Was this something encouraged by your tutors at RCA?
Tae: By studying in the UK we were all brought up to think about our upbringing in a new way. In the final year we had a project called Mirror Mirror in which, as the name suggests, we had to reflect on ourselves with references to our past. I think it helped us all capture how our Asian heritage is a defining part of our identity, but it doesn’t all come down to that. Each and everyone has layers to their personality which may be defined by where they grew up, with either agreement or disagreement for what they were taught. And sometimes it’s got nothing to do with one’s background and is simply a personal view on something. Everyone’s identity is complex, and yes at RCA we were asked to critically reflect on it.
How has living in London and studying at RCA affected your perspectives and creativity?
Feyfey: I can speak only for myself, but I think living abroad gave me the guts to say and express things in a broader and more risky way than I probably would have if I stayed home in China. Before coming to London I lived in the US, and being a foreigner and speaking English as a second language sort of gave me an excuse to do as I wished and not follow the rules. If I was designing from my hometown I probably would have been concerned about doing everything perfectly.
“We just didn’t feel like putting a stop to the journey we’ve had there at school.” – Keiga Hua Hui
When did the idea of starting a collective come to you?
Gisele: When we were about to graduate I got stressed out as we didn’t know if we’d even have a show because of the pandemic. That’s about when Tae and Keiga suggested we should go on and do our own, the five of us.
Keiga: We just didn’t feel like putting a stop to the journey we’ve had there at school. There’s much competition in fashion, and perhaps in the industry, we should regard other designers as fellow teammates with whom we can support and share advice rather than thinking of them as competitors. I think a key element of growth is collaboration.
What’s the story behind the name End And And?
Feyfey: The meaning behind the collective’s name is pretty self-explanatory. We ended school, and now we’re looking forward to developing our careers, and our identities as we grow; hence why the double e/ands. What the future holds is still to be seen…
“I was a little nervous about the uncertainty of facing the industry on my own when graduating from uni, so it definitely is reassuring to enter it as a collective.” – Hye Min Kim
How was it to hold your first exhibition?
Gisele: We first held a runway and then there was an installation where models stood with the outfits we’ve put together. At first, people were a bit reticent about getting closer to one another but after a few drinks everyone became chattier. And the fact that we’ve done it during LFW helped draw attention to what we were doing. The following day, after the installation, we put the clothes on display so that guests could come and see the details of the garments. Overall it was a pleasant atmosphere.
What does it feel like to be facing the industry as a group and not individually? And what strengths does a collective have, especially in a competitive field like fashion?
Kim: I won’t lie I was a little nervous about the uncertainty of facing the industry on my own when graduating from uni, so it definitely is reassuring to enter it as a collective. That way we can support each other and we end up doing things we probably wouldn’t have if we were working individually. The exhibition we just held proved just that: it is possible to shine as an independent designer and simultaneously as a group. We get to create looks with everyone’s unique take on clothing design and the outcome is something much more interesting and diverse than it would be if I were by myself, I think.
Keiga: With the way we’re mixing our work together, everyone gets to add up their own unique flavour and ability and style to a whole. And I think we got familiar enough to give some constructive feedback and somehow tutor one another so that we can become better, together.
“As a collective, we have a common goal to achieve, so of course, there isn’t any competition; it’s more like teamwork than anything else.” – Feyfey Yufei Liu
Are you not concerned that someone might outshine the rest of the group?
Feyfey: No, not at all. E.A.A. is more like a union. I actually always wished there’d be some sort of a union for independent designers in which emerging talents could be supported and get to do other work and gigs besides designing their own collection. As a collective, we have a common goal to achieve, so of course, there isn’t any competition; it’s more like teamwork than anything else. Each look is made of clothes from each member and as much as the pieces are very different in nature, they end up looking good together and creating an aesthetic we surely couldn’t have achieved otherwise.
In that sense, would you one day consider integrating a new member if they were to share the collective’s mission?
Keiga: If they were to bring a different element to the collective, then sure. It’s like a full English, what makes it good is the variety of ingredients and flavours!
