Kinyan Lam: Please Don’t Let Me Go Extinct

A seamless blending of traditional techniques with modern technology that proposes to tackle fashion’s overproduction through the preservation of cultural skills and values, Lam’s 12-look line-up, entitled ‘Going Back To The Present’, was inspired by Dong cloth, an ancient fabric from Southern China. Observing the dyeing, steaming and pounding of the textile during two research trips to the Chinese province of Guizhou, one of the few locations where the fabric is still made, Lam recognised the potential for the mass production of Dong cloth due to its sustainable manufacturing process.

“Dong cloth is crafted using a number of eco-friendly raw ingredients, such as herbs, cowhide and egg white.”

Woven by Dong people – one of the 56 officially recognised ethnic groups in China – Dong cloth is crafted using a number of eco-friendly raw ingredients, such as herbs, cowhide and egg white. Once completed, the cloth is then tinted a rich shade of blue through the use of natural indigo dye, and typically sewn in nearby hills. “The village was filled with the sounds of Dong women pounding Dong clothes on rocks with wooden hammers in order to give the fabrics a shiny effect,” recalls Lam. “Each household had a unique way of creating Dong cloth with slight variations in the processing steps.” Nowadays, however, Dong cloth has fallen out of popularity among native Dong people due to less labour intensive fabrics being readily available and is instead reserved for the creation of festival costumes and sold as souvenirs to visitors.

As a way of spotlighting this vanishing craft, aside from a few pieces of knitwear, Lam designed his entire line-up using Dong cloth. From layered long coats in deep hues of cedar, black and wine to oversized bucket hats and straight-leg trousers, Lam cut, pleated and bonded the fabric in collaboration with Chinese company InDihouse to create his final garments.

“For the development of the shapes, I studied the patterns of cardboard boxes,” says Lam, who conducted various tests on thread, stitchings, pockets and finishings before designing to maximise his use of fabric. “The cardboard boxes were made of paper and had a certain volume. Their shapes and structures were fixed. However, these variables changed once a softer medium, fabric, was used.” Researching into the patterns of both traditional and contemporary Chinese packaging, the designer developed three key silhouettes for his menswear, two for outerwear and one for his trousers. Lam then scaled up these shapes by positioning them on his mannequins. “The long coat is my favourite piece from the collection,” reveals Lam. “The silhouette of the coat created the essential for the whole collection’s outline.”

“I came from a poor family, so I had to wear clothes passed down from my older cousins.”

Growing up in China, Lam had a difficult relationship with fashion. “I came from a poor family, so I had to wear clothes passed down from my older cousins,” says the designer. “There were times where I just wanted to have a brand new wardrobe.” This negative experience with the industry would change as Lam entered high school and began developing a talent for drawing, a skill that would eventually spark his interest in becoming a fashion designer. Lam later went on to complete a BA in Fashion Design at Nottingham Trent University, graduating in 2018. While in that same year, he also interned at clothing and homeware manufacturer Esprit Holdings in Germany. “It taught me a lot about the industry,” says the designer, of his time at Esprit. “It helped me understand fashion on an international scale.”

“I definitely want the traditional show to continue,” says Lam. “When you’re there in person, you can view the clothes properly and touch the fabric. I much prefer this as a way of presenting garments.”

Unlike most fashion students this year who have had their graduations cancelled, postponed or moved online, Lam’s graduation from LCF was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and he was able to showcase his final collection on a physical runway during London Fashion Week. “[Coronavirus] has had no direct impact on my collection as I had already presented it before the pandemic,” says Lam. While the majority of designers, both young and established, have adapted to a new socially-distanced world with virtual shows and collection films, Lam is optimistic that this isn’t the end of the tried-and-true catwalk. “I definitely want the traditional show to continue,” says Lam. “When you’re there in person, you can view the clothes properly and touch the fabric. I much prefer this as a way of presenting garments.”

As for future plans, Lam intends to set up his own label. But, for now, thanks to pandemic-induced restrictions, these ambitions have been put on hold. “This year has just been too challenging,” he laughs.