The fashion industry is a land of experiments and opportunities that are waiting to be taken. Former Central Saint Martins student and now creative director of her own eponymous label – Celine Yu Hei Kwan – totally understands it. Born in Hong-Kong but raised in the UK, Celine graduated last year and decided to start her label while spending some time in the city where she was born.
Approaching fashion design as a tool to tell stories, the young and enthusiastic designer aims “to be part of people’s memories”. While speaking to Celine, we can easily be seduced by her eagerness and passionate character. “I truly believe that fashion can be redesigned from cradle to grave”, says Celine. If there is anyone up to the task it is certainly her. Indeed, her graduate collection is a perfect illustration of the potential of the designer but also of fashion design as a whole. For Celine, the best way to create the future is to search in the past and to refresh those traditions by adding a modern point of view. “Innovation comes with knowledge of traditions” she states. She continues “we need to learn and understand what people value and how we can innovate and change for the better.”
Welcome Home is inspired both by past references and modern to futuristic ideals. Celine’s goal for this final collection was to introduce ”a living room utopia” as she called it. Deeply inspired by product design from the 1960s and 1970s, Celine’s collection is mainly based on the inflatable chairs from this era. She deconstructed this piece of design and added her personal touch to it – shapes, colours and prints. Using 3D techniques during the development, Celine is convinced that if applied to print, this could solve many issues we currently face in the fashion industry. “It is the future!”