“My muses are always a little bit boyish. I like the idea of an independent and powerful woman. I believe that today those are essential qualities for women,” said Mingyu Du (mingyudu.com), a young fashion designer originally from Qinhdao, China. Du recently graduated from the Academy of Art University and participated, with other students, at the latest Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

Du’s voice, typically quiet and calm, became animated when she began to talk about mod culture. The Mod movement, popularized by 1960s British youth subcultures, has been a strong source of inspiration for Mingyu. Her Fall 2014 collection is inspired by all things Mod. “What I love the most about mod subculture is its sense of freedom and the urgency of exploration. A deep attitude owned by all the young guys who identified themselves into this trend,” she said. Mingyu’s collection incorporated unique materials such as an army tent, a wool blanket and a parachute.

Mingyu is also passionate about sneakers: these accessories are a must-have in her wardrobe, and she was one of the youngest talents selected to create and design sportswear’s collection for Nike Olympic.

But fashion is not the only passion of Mingyu’s. She has a B.F.A. in Art and Calligraphy and won the National Cup Painting Dragon Calligraphy Competition in Beijing, China. “There is no separation between me and calligraphy. I do calligraphy since I was six years old and sometimes I think of fashion as an evolution of it.”

Mingyu recently relocated to New York, where she has been received into the fashion world with open arms: Bill Cunningham even included some of her Fall 2014 looks in the New York Times. “I am doing an internship at Yigal Azrouël’s studio for three months, and then I’ll have a whole year to look for a job in a fashion company,” Mingyu said, but her dreams don’t stop there: “One day, I would like to open a fashion studio with my friend Ban Dong.”

Text by Anna Volpicelli
Photography by Joseph Khawane & Bob Toy