EMERGING DESIGNER
Moon Chang
Words by Katie Farley
Moon Chang is a brand that encompasses art and style, uniquely amalgamated to illustrate many traditional dressmaking techniques and interpret them into modern visions.
The label aims to deliver an inspiring aesthetical point of view to the fashion industry, where Moon Chang designs garments that are wearable and functional in equal measures. Striving to push the limits of innovation, the designer has no restrictions when it comes to being a creator and desires to employ her brand and garments as a mechanism of interaction.
“I am always inspired by personal stories and stretch this to social movement to validity because we are living in the same world together, and there are many things we can understand and sympathize with,” explains Chang. “Therefore, I am using ‘fashion and art’ as a communication tool to share the experience with people. I am a designer who does not just design visually, but also psychologically, mentally, and ethically speaks to the world from the perspective of a designer.”
Moon Chang appreciates the fact that many designers tend to produce collections that are suited to a particular season, albeit, she believes this causes many problems nowadays, due to the fast pace of season and trends. The designer wishes the fashion world could adopt a more meaningful and ethical approach concerning production methods, instead of manufacturing a certain amount of garments every season.
“I want to bring seasonless designs, which can be prolonged. Seasonless here can be timeless fabrics and techniques, also new approaches to the design and production process. I want to open up a new and creative world of fashion design, reinterpreting the traditional beauty of the past and breaking the boundaries of perceptions.”
A visual understanding of the contradiction between beauty and ugliness translates as an invaluable asset of Moon Chang’s aesthetical vocabulary. Her dual perception creates a dichotomy of beauty and the beast, light, and shadow, fantasy, and reality. These binary contradictions progress into the illusory and dark enchanted narrative throughout the designer’s aesthetics. Black is a significant factor in the enlarged scaling and weightiness of the garments and intermingled with playful elements, including botanical flourishes, bows, and ruffles. These portray the tension of juxtaposes and accentuates the vision of immense minimalism at the same time as the prettiness in ugly forms.
The hypothesis behind Moon Chang’s latest fashion story is Hybrid Beauty, which begins from the designer’s account, reverting to the time when she endured post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the death moment. As a method of dealing with this, Moon revisits her childhood and uses the words “Being Cute.” She applies the cuteness to survive from the death situation by incorporating flowers, ruffles, and ribbon.
Focusing on future endeavors, Moon Chang is establishing her second brand, VENUS IN BLACK, named after her beloved dog, which is launching next year. The ready-to-wear collection focuses on customers who can parade the clothing while walking their four-legged friends.
Presenting a fantastical, editorial aesthetic that emits dark and playful elements, Moon Chang’s contemporary designs target the ultimate visionary, who is not afraid to stand out from the crowd.
