C JEAN設計總監
C JEAN Design Director
簡君嫄 Chun-Yuan Jean
YEARBOOK 2023
設計名家專文
Article of famous designers
Chun-Yuan Jean－From Design Philosophy to Practice: C JEAN Chun-Yuan Jean’s Design Process and Innovation
Iactively explored the fields of fine art and fashion design, learnedphotography, color science, and other professional knowledge, and in-depthstudy of design theory and thinking. During my postgraduate study in London, Iheld internships with designer brands; after graduation, I also accumulated manyyears of workingexperience with well-known clothing brands. These experiences gave me a deeperunderstanding of the impact that design has on product value, and on aproduct’s competitive edge. It also prompted me to found C JEAN in 2019. I hopeto use my design skills to bring value and beauty to people, and to express mycreativity and ideas.
One of my goals as a fashion designer is to create meaningful, aesthetically-pleasingdesigns. At the same time, though, commercial factors must be considered, suchas cost, production feasibility, market demand, and brand image. We need to understandthe brand’s target market and values, and find a balance between businesscompetition and artistic creation.
For AW19, I created my “Break” collection. This was inspired by the impact ofclimate change on Antarctic glaciers, specifically the breaking and shrinkingof the glaciers’ ice shelves. We worked with textile mills to developsustainable and environmentally friendly recycled wool to reduce textile wasteand carbon emissions. We used broché and burnout techniques to incorporate thevisual effects of melting glaciers onto the fabric and clothing design; we createdoutfit and dress collection demarcated by the different stages of a disappearingglacier.
Inspiredby melting glaciers, C JEAN Chun-Yuan Jean collaborated with textile mills to developrecycled wool, and integrated the visual effectof a melting glacier onto fabric and clothing design, through broché and burnout techniques.
The12th edition of the Florence Biennale in Italy attracted close to a thousandartists/designers from 78 countries to participate. Among such fiercecompetition, “Break” was lucky to win the bronze medal in the Textile and FiberArt category. This is the first time Taiwan has received this honor. My workwas validated by the judges, and this represented international recognition ofC JEAN’s creative ability and professional standards. I am very grateful to myphotographer friend Che-I Liaowho understood the design concept and fabric development after shooting thefirst collection for C JEAN, and who encouraged me to participate in thecompetition.
The Florence Biennale announcing C JEAN, bronze medal winner in the Textile and Fiber Art category.
C JEAN 2021 autumn and winter “Lost Birds”, inspired by endangered birds.
The design concept formy SS23 “Form” collection comes from order and organization systems in nature,such as honeycombs, mushroom gills, nautiluses, and spider webs. These elementsare often used in architectural designs, such as gill-like corrugated panels onbuildings or honeycomb structures. Through the integration of sustainablebiomimicry and geometric design in architecture, we created uniqueformalwear—gill-like wavy textures on cloth flowers, honeycomb textures,jacquard lines interlaced with spider webs, and more—which were not onlybeautiful but also practical and comfortable. These clothes demonstrate thecombination of nature and human society, constructing a new harmony of beauty.
Inmy “Form” collection for SS23, C JEAN collaborated with Joint GroupConstruction to break the tradition of holding Taipei Fashion Week only inTaipei. We instead moved our show to Joint Group’s Reception Center in TaichungPort. Combining the indoor hall with the outdoor gardens, we had a live band andan outdoor buffet to create international post-show ambiance. Thiscollaboration not only brought together many possibilities, but also, hopefully,encouraged Taiwanese enterprises to support and attach importance to fashion.
SS23 Taipei Fashion Week, C JEAN took our fashion show to Taichung, responding to theMinistry of Culture’s plan to“flourish everywhere”.
Show director Yen Zhou (www.zyenprod.com) designed thelighting and stage of the C JEAN SS23 fashion show as a movie set, andchoreographed the show like a movie
SS23:Inspired by the gills of shiitake mushrooms, C JEAN’s formalsuits keep corporate wear inmind.
SS23: C JEAN brings Taipei Fashion Week to TaichungPort, creating a beautiful landscape.
Inaddition to the construction industry, we also collaborated with the automotiveindustry. Through multiple Audi Taiwan invitations, we held fashion shows thatintegrated their new models, including the Audi A3 Sportback, flagship modelsA8L, S8, TT RS Coupé Recharge Hatchback, e-tron GT, and other series. Our goalwas to provide customers with a comprehensive brand experience. Byincorporating dance performances by the independence dancer and the members of Japan’s group WorldOrder in the A8L fashion show, and unique fashion experience and interactivedisplays, we brought customers a deeper understanding of our brands andproducts. In addition, we also designed clothing to align with the Audi e-tronGT. Our design lines, contours, and fabric selections further strengthened Audi’sdesign concept and style. The combination of automobile and fashion elementsnot only gives the products more personality and creativity, but also enhances theirvalue and attractiveness, thereby generating more connections with customers.
Audi A3 launch combined with C JEAN fashion show: C JEAN was introduced by then-Audi president Matthias Schepers.
Well-known Japanese dancegroup World Order at Audi × C
JEAN.Rahil Ansari, current president of Audi, invited C JEAN’s Chun-Yuan Jean for ongoing dialogue toexplore how to realize sustainable aesthetics at the design level.
Beyondcollaborating with other businesses, we have also collaborated with Spring PoolGlass, Shiyeand Tennii Studio to turn recycled glass into a clothing accessoriescollection. In addition, we designed a collection of night-blooming cereus-inspiredclothes using all-natural dyes to show the eternity of life. These works havebeen exhibited at art fairs and London Fashion Week. We were also invited toshare our creative process on panels. As the opening show during the recent AW23Taipei Fashion Week, C JEAN collaborated with important national craftsmanshippreservationist and centenarian artistic heavyweight Qingshuang Wang, to transform hiscreative spirit into clothing.
SS22 C JEAN’sSS22 “Eternity”collaboration with Spring Pool Glass and Shiye, developing an accessorycollection from recycled glass
C JEAN’s SS22 “Moment” collectioncollaborated with TenniiStudio, using plant-extracted whole plant dyed fabrics to create the appearanceof night-blooming cereus buds.
Wang Ching-shuang, a master lacquer artist who has lived througha century of changes, embodies 85+ years of indominable creative spirit.
Creative process for C JEAN’s AW23 “Faith” collection.
C JEAN’s AW23 interpretation of Blue Waves Gold Light, a2005 work by national craft preservationist and master lacquer artist Wang Ching-shuang.Wang Chun-wei, Wang Ching-shuang’s grandson, applied painted lacquer onto theclutch bag.
AW23: C JEAN collaborated with Wang Ching-shuang, a centenarianmaster lacquer artist. C JEAN interpreted the concepts of lamination and maki-ethrough embroidery, beading, and other handicrafts.
AW23: C JEAN’sinterpretation of Wang Ching-shuang’s Rebirth 1999.
AW23: C JEAN’s interpretation of Qingshuang Wang’sBeauty Under the Moon 2008.
Successful cross-industry collaborationshighlight how business and art can complement each other; such collaborations canbe valuable to both parties. The business sector can use artistic creativity toenhance brand value, brand images, and consumer loyalty; while artwork canreach a wider range of consumers through commercial platforms, gain support,and expand possibilities for creativity. These collaborations bring commercialsuccess and increase opportunities for artists.
For me, clothing is a medium forcreativity, as well as a means of expression and communication. The process ofrealizing the concepts in my mind is amazingly interesting. Through design, wecan convey culture, beliefs, and values; and design can become a platform forsocial issues, like raising awareness on environmental protection, humanrights, and equality, and can try to exert an influence there. Clothing is afusion of culture, history, technology, and personal style, presenting endlesspossibilities.
The fashion industry brings aesthetictrends to society, and creators need to constantly advance their skills to meetmarket demand. This is why I believe creation is an eternal process. Staycurious. Every designer should constantly learn, explore, and try new ideas andmethods.