She loves art in all of its shapes: painting, photography and of course fashion. Fashion is where she has focused her dedication, passion, energy, thoughts and creativity. Jamie Wei Huang, a young fashion designer based in London, is already well-known internationally. With a background as a painter and her finely- tuned empathy, she has an original vision of a woman: a survivor but at the same time as a queen of her time. She enjoys observing all kinds of women in their environment, how they act, how they behave and how they relate to a particular situation. After graduating from Fashion Design Womenswear at Central Saint Martins Art and Design College in London, she was select- ed as the top 5 finalists for the International fashion competition Designer for Tomorrow awards: Stella McCartney was her mentor. This award helped her to gain full sponsorship for her 2014 Spring Summer catwalk at the Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week 2013. Talented and full of courage she decided to launch her own brand: Jamie Wei Huang. Her latest collection was in- spired by the image of refugees where she used various fabrics and texture to create a sense of determination and resourceful- ness, which highlight the personality of those characters: outfits of necessity, essential silhouettes that show how fashion is part of life and can become synonyms of survival.

Here the self is not completely lost: those refugees could have been painters, musicians or teachers before their environment started to change but through a clear awareness of their identity the inner-self failed to be manipulated. An armband was used during World War II to represent the refugees’ unification and to signify their integration into a single entity. Its use creates a strong collection that stands as one through incorporating post- war functional details, such as tool belts with creative pattern, construction and delicate, fine-finishing typical of a pre-war lifestyle.

The contrast between the masculine and the feminine is imperative: the contemporary combination of femininity and masculinity is at the heart of the collection.

Text by Anna Volpecilli