With LFW upon us, our minds are firmly planted on all things fashion. And so, to set the mood for what is sure to be a fabulous affair, we want to introduce you to one of the industry’s fastest rising names to date: Izzy Du.
Giving a new face to the causal puffer jacket, the Chinese-Canadian fashion designer has been hard at work dreaming up ethereal, exaggerated structures that – while overwhelming in premise – have each been crafted with attention to detail in mind, resulting in a graduate fashion collection of an other-worldly nature. With Izzy turning to West Coast Minimalism and Modernist Sculpture to inform her designs, and foam, feather down and wadding to craft them from, it becomes clear that she has a natural ability to tap into malleable qualities of materials and niche references to craft unique pieces, sure to send her to the helm of the industry that she is operating in.
When discussing her creative process, the designer explains, “I think most people just see the big shapes, the unconventionalness and all that, but it is actually extremely technical work. The process is very time and brain consuming. Some garments are up to 200 pattern pieces just for one piece and take over 80 hours to make. I work in a somewhat spontaneous manner, being able to adjust and respond on the spot is crucial. For a few of the looks, I lined up all the pattern pieces and cut the prints on the spot. It’s hard to get creative with technical patterns, so I think it is really important to be technically adept yet have the ability to stray away from tradition, using it as fundamental base knowledge.”
As she unveils her newest campaign, shot by the incomparable Jordan Hemingway, the designer sat down with Wonderland to discuss her affinity for the puffer jacket, the creative freedom a uniform provides, and the imminent arrival of her brand’s debut.
Head below to read our interview with Izzy Du…
Hi Izzy, how are you? Where are we speaking to you from right now?
Hey, I’m good but busy! I am in London right now.
How would you describe your childhood growing up, and did it influence your decision to become a fashion designer?
I grew up mostly in Vancouver, and though my family and I travelled around a lot when I was young, I was never in a very creative environment. I wore a school uniform for most of my childhood in Chengdu and in Vancouver. I used to resent it before I realised how much time and space it freed up to think and dream. Everyone wears a uniform. They wear one that identifies their role in society and another that they choose for themselves, that is ever-changing. But I always love to see how people choose to dress outside of their imposed uniform. So, in a sense, fashion began in quite a conceptual manner for me and because of this, I would see and respect the everyday garments that were real and the ones in my head that held no limitations, no obligation to abide by any physical boundaries that ‘regular’ clothing does; I keep the two separate as I think they have different beauty and focus points.
At what age did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career in fashion?
15, I’d say.
You are now making strides in the fashion industry with your hypnotic and daring collection. Did you anticipate this success when you were first designing?
Thank you! Not at all, I’m super glad people enjoy the collection, but I’ve been at this for a while now so I don’t tend to have many expectations haha!