Fashion line SuperlinXX, a collaboration between acclaimed Taiwan designer Justin Chou and Taipei City-based National Palace Museum, is set to debut Feb. 9 at New York Fashion Week.
According to NPM, the 2018 fall/winter collection is inspired by classic calligraphy works like “Timely Clearing after Snowfall” by Jin dynasty (316-420) master Wang Xizhi and some of the museum’s most renowned antiquities such as Jade Boy and Bear and Jadeite Cabbage with Insects, both crafted during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The entire SuperlinXX line will be on display at Spring Studios in New York.
NPM Director Lin Jeng-yi said the collection is helping strengthen people’s connections with history, adding that the world-famous institution looks forward to exploring more opportunities to present diverse facets of the nation’s treasures via creative new approaches.
Chou said the clothing, in addition to showcasing NPM’s treasures, is designed to advocate sustainable fashion. One-third of the garments in the line are made from recycled materials, he said, citing as an example a leather jacket produced using discarded coats.
According to the designer, much of the SuperlinXX collection was crafted via traditional techniques such as embroidery, indigo dyeing and rush weaving.
This is not the first time Chou has released designs based on calligraphy and historical relics. In 2017, he drew inspiration from artifacts at Taipei-headquartered National Museum of History, and later that year also collaborated with celebrated Taiwan calligrapher Dong Yang-zi.
According to NPM, the highly anticipated debut of SuperlinXX will be live streamed on the museum’s official website. (CPY-E)
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