Fashion Designer: YunRay Chung
YunRay Chung, a young, Taiwanese designer, lives and works in New York. He started out as a medical student, but decided to change careers, and so he switched to fashion design. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. YunRay’s brand, Sincerely, YunRay, has been showcased at New York Fashion Week. His latest collection, New Americana, is a mix of performance arts and fashion designs from recycled materials.
How did you know that the switch from medicine to fashion was right for you?
I've always wanted to get into fashion, ever since middle school. I was always fascinated by how garments are made. However, due to family expectations and personal challenges, it took me a whole bachelor's degree in physical therapy to make the switch. There are multiple times I questioned my decisions, even now sometimes, but when I get to design something and make that into a reality to present, I always feel that I made the right choice.
Had you always had a gut feeling that the switch would come?
Absolutely, it was more when and how. I have thought about a more financially stable way, or to keep fashion as a hobby, but ultimately I knew that it's either going to take too long or it would just not be enough for me. I have to go full in and jump right into it to know if fashion is really for me, and I'm glad that I made that jump.
What brought you to America to study fashion design?
I'm always interested in American culture, its diversity and inclusivity really attract me. America's fashion and entertainment industries are an incredible strong influence in the world, in a more capitalistic way, which I think is a double-sided sword. It also makes it more challenging but I like the challenge. I think the emphasis on commercial fashion in America is important. Fashion does need to sell after all, and I think in America is the best place to explore the balance between commercial and creative.
Why did you choose to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology?
I was excited about the curriculum listed by the Fashion Design MFA program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. FIT is known for its technical training, and the MFA program combines new technology and old fashion techniques in most classes, which I wanted to learn more about, and the FIT Museum's collection is a real treasure, I felt incredibly lucky to be able to observe these amazing runway pieces from old to new.
What was it like to be featured in NYFW so early in your career?
It was definitely exciting. It was a lot of work and a lot of planning, but it also requires changing your plan all the time. It definitely helped with exposure and getting the name of my label out, and it was a precious learning experience.
What does your collection name, “New Americana,” mean to you?
For me, it means comfort and the bond in the immigrant community. As an immigrant who's currently going through the green card application process, it is a stressful process, and on top of that, you have all the cultural differences to adjust to, even after years of living in America. I wanted to show the complicated emotions going through every immigrant's mind and heart, and also to tell them it is okay to feel like you're stuck in-between. Immigrants can never be 100% home country or 100% American, we are a mix, and I think it is a beautiful thing and should be something we feel comfortable and proud of.
From where do you draw inspiration?
I draw inspiration from my personal emotional journey through life and from social issues. Also, my performance art has become a common design process now. A lot of time, the inspiration is easily transferred into a movement, a performance, or video art. From those artworks that I created, I can pull more design information, from textile manipulation to draping experiments.
How do you design in a socially conscious way?
My collection "New Americana" is made with mostly reconstituted materials. I thrift shops in Goodwill’s and vintage stores to pick out my materials, and then I deconstruct and reconstruct them in a new way. I believe that by upcycling these clothes I can eliminate a lot of the pollution and energy waste on raw materials. My sweaters are also made from recycled yarns, so either leftover yarns my friends gave me, or I get yarns on Etsy that are pulled from vintage sweaters.
Where do you see the future of genderless clothing going?
I do see a positive trend in fashion where genderless clothing is no longer a gimmick or a runway "moment" but can be seen on the streets. I always believe that people wear clothes, not the other way around. I think in the future, fashion designers can just design clothes, and people will just try them on to see what fits them better. There's really no need to add genders to the clothes.
Where do you see the future of Sincerely, YunRay going?
I want to continue to explore this idea of a hybrid label with art and fashion. I want it to be a slow fashion label, with one collection a year or even less, but really filled with research, my performance art, and meanings, from the inspiration to the textile to the final products. I do not want to put something out just to sell things, but because I think what I put out is worth sharing with the world. I want it to continue to be a conscious label with mostly reconstituted limited pieces, crafted with care and stories to tell.
Do you see yourself branching out from fashion design in the future?
I can see it happening. I am still working as a performance artist, and I might even have a YouTube channel soon to talk more about Sincerely, YunRay, and sustainability in the fashion industry.
What are your socials? You can find me on Instagram at sincerely.yunray.
Where to Buy: https://fave.co/3x41Ox6
Article by Bridget McDonald, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Kenisha Seth, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
