Taiwanese designer John Zucca Cheng (鄭佳弘) presented his creations at the AltaRoma Fashion Week, which was held from Feb. 2 through 5 in Italy, making him the only non-Italian among four featured emerging designers invited to the fashion week.
Under the brand name John Zucca, Cheng showcased his fall/winter collection titled "FutureSkin" with models dressed in the clothing created by him. Taiwanese Indigenous singer-songwriter ABAO's N1 compilation album was played during the fashion show.
Cheng explained that the aim of the "FutureSkin" collection is to convey the idea of liberating from patriarchy, gender bias, and hierarchy. He took his inspirations from Frank Gehry, a modern architect, and designer whose original and sculptural works won him international renown. The sets of clothes Cheng created for this show incorporate deconstructivism and Taiwan’s cultural elements, deftly combing architectural concepts with cloth designs. He also embraces sustainability for this collection, echoing environmental sustainability by utilizing old clothes and recycled materials for his creations.
The event was also attended by several officials from Taiwan's representative office in Italy.
Lee Sing-ying (李新穎), Taiwan’s representative to Italy, said he was happy to see Cheng’s creations at the show, which introduced Taiwan’s unique fashion designs to the world. Lee expressed his hope to see more creations of Taiwanese young designers in Italy in the future.
Teng Mei-jung (鄧美容), head of the cultural division at the representative office in Italy, said that the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs have been working toward developing Taiwan fashion industry by introducing local brands to the world via Taipei Fashion Week, which has been held for four successive years.
The Ministry will continue its efforts to assist local brands to break into the international market and encourage more up-and-coming designers to engage in fashion shows and exchange with fashion circles in Italy, thereby initiating more collaborative projects and deepening the fashion industry of Taiwan.
Organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Rome and the Lazio Region, AltaRoma establishes itself as a starting point for the country's emerging talents and new international designers.
(Photo credit: Taipei Representative Office in Italy)