Up-An-Coming Designer: W by Wenjun

About a month ago I attended a trade show in Paris called Tranoi. This trade show is dedicated to displaying the collections of up and coming designers to buyers, press and all the others who work in the fashion industry. At this show I saw hundreds of amazing collections but the one that stood out to me the most was a collection called W by Wenjun created by the wonderful Li Wenjun. I spent a good 20 minutes talking to her about her work and she was the nicest person I met over the three days. After a few emails back and forth I am writing my blog post about her and her collection.

W by Wenjun is a very modern collection that could easily be worn on the street but is still beautiful and fashionable. It’s a combination of Parisian chic with simple cuts and exotic Chinese style from Li’s heritage with the incredible fabrics that she uses. I asked Li a few questions which she answered so here they are as well as the images of her collection that she kindly supplied me with.

Q: Where were you educated and what did you study?

A: I studied in The Academy of fine arts in China, after graduation I came to Paris, France, to study fashion design in STUDIO BERÇOT, a fashion design school which is very understated but well-reputed. 

Q: What experience did you have in the fashion industry before starting your own line? 

A: I began the first fashion internship in a very small designer brand which basic in Paris, as a small company, I needed to work on many things, and I learned how a fashion brand runs from A to Z. Then I began to do my internship in the bigger company such as Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Kenzo, Valentino, for those well-known brands, I sometimes worked in the showrooms, sometimes worked as design assistant, sometimes for shop and administration, it helps me to understand more about how fashion companies work as I always had an idea to creat my own brand. After all those experience with the European brands, I went to  New York City for me last internship for 6 months, just wanted to know more about NY fashion, to enlarge my view and experience.

Q: What made you decide to create your own line?

A: Creating my own line is more about freedom, as an artist, I feel like creating a piece of art when I am making clothes. I just want to follow my feelings.

Q: What inspired your collection?

A: Life, it's more about an attitude to life, it could be a feeling, an impression, a sight, a person, a habit...

My favorite piece is a oversized shirt made of fabric that looks like dragonfly wings (above right). It could be worn over anything or tucked into a sleek skirt. I love the versatility of this collection and the way it can all be worn together or with other designers pieces. Let me know what you think of the collection and check out Li's website: http://www.wbywenjun.com/

My Wardrobe: The Skirt, The trousers and The Maxi Dress

This month I've been obsessing over three items of clothing in my wardrobe. The first is this navy blue pleated skirt that I found in a charity shop about a year ago. It went into my wardrobe and I hadn't worn it at all until last week when I rediscovered it. It looks great with a cropped top or with a tucked in shirt for a more Victorian look. Here I'm wearing it with a pastel mint green belt (Charity shop), white lace socks (Primark), brown brogues (Vintage store) and a pastel chunky necklace (Forever 21).

 The second item is this pair of hot pink tailored trousers from H&M. These are perfect for day and night. With this navy vest top (Primark), bike chain necklace (Oasis) and black studded heels (New Look, also referenced in my last wardrobe post!) it's perfect for day time and then when the evening comes I can change the vest for a sequinned black top, let my hair down and I'm ready to party!

The last piece is this floral maxi dress. I've had this dress for a few years now and I grow to love it even more every summer. There's something very Jane Austin about the tiny blue and orange floral print and the aged cream colour of the dress. Here I'm wearing it with a bone necklace that my uncle bought me in Africa and a pair of antique rose sling-backs.