Kopenhagen Fur: Imagine Talents
Her wacky, wearable Wonderland went above and beyond— a kaleidoscopic vision of vivid clothing, with an articulate, creative approach to no-waste concepts. Playful, mindful, downright cool— a fur perfectly fitting for first place. When Gucci announced it was going fur-free in 2018, the fashion world held its breath. Was fur officially out of style? Well, as soon as something is deemed dangerous, or sinful, or “out of style,” it immediately becomes a little underground, a little more vanguard, a little more interesting. Politics aside, it’s probably safe to say that fur will never go entirely out of style, and Shangquian Xu’s adaptation of the material into an eco-friendly collection was a refreshing take on the matter.
In the wake of her win, office got a chance to catch up with the designer backstage.
SX All the denim is from the secondhand shop or Japanese natural indigo dyed denim, it’s a raw denim. I tried to use less waste, and less blood, I’m trying to come by fur, I try to use every bit of the fur and combine that together make this casual style
What kind of fur?
Mink.
What is the important signafacen of fur for fashion?
I think the significance for fashion is sustainability. It’s like, fast fashion is more old fashioned, I think sustainability is having a moment in high fashion — we can use secondhand clothes to remake a more fashionable piece, and use eco-friendly fabrics to make fashion, it’s the future, I think.
Why do your designs stand out?
I think it’s because of my eco-friendly thinking about fashion combined with fur, also the textiles are really fresh and of the moment. It feels new!
What is next for you after this victory? Are you still in school?
Yeah, I’m going back to school and finishing my final collection. I’m working on denim at the moment, I’m really interested in natural indigo dyed denim and raw denim at the moment, so I will develop a denim final collection at the end.