Life as art
Sophie Hong’s motto is, “The best designs are made for the right person on the right occasion.”
“A lot of people ask me, ‘What’s in style right now?’ But I always answer: ‘Everything!’” When it comes to good taste, she explains, there’s no need to change everything around every year. Just look at Chanel—they’ve always used the diamond pattern stitching and four pockets. Consumers don’t always need to be chasing after the latest craze, they need to simply choose what’s right for themselves as individuals.
Sophie Hong attire is highly distinguishable from competitors. For one thing she has taken gambiered silk to a new level, refining and exploiting it to the maximum of its potential. For another, the loose-fitting and simple silhouettes of her clothes are instantly recognizable characteristics.
“Simplicity,” says Hong, “is at the core of my thinking about design; it’s a principle that has never changed and never will.” Apparel is a work of art that is meant to be used in real life, which means that in addition to having visual appeal it must be comfortable and easy to clean.
So what features are typical of her work? For one thing, she favors designs with high collars, because “when the collar is upright, the face becomes more prominent.” Also, she uses the “draping” tailoring technique to shape a woman’s shoulders, back, waist, and hips into an elegant line.
Commentators have described her clothes as having an architectural quality about them. They create a sense of flow as of passing through an extended space. Also, the writer Lin Qingxuan has said in an essay that whereas Oriental art emphasizes lines, Occidental art emphasizes depth and space, and that “Sophie Hong’s greatest achievement has been in employing a Western art sensibility to express Asian fashion traditions.”
Even those people who don’t understand all this talk about lines and space can unfailingly sense the meticulous craftsmanship. Especially impressive is that every piece is reversible, i.e. it can be worn either side out, and people can put on the different layers in any way they like, making for kaleidoscopic possibilities.
Sophie Hong’s shop in the Yongkang commercial area is far more than just a boutique for her trademark gambiered-silk fashions. You will also find many objets d’art including carved hand puppets, paintings, sculptures, and mosaics.