Two Taiwanese fashion brands, oqLiq and INF, were featured on New York Fashion Week (NYFW) website on Feb. 16 and 18 respectively. This is the third time oqLiq has partaked in the fashion event, while NYFW has included INF in its official line-up for the first time. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, NYFW fashion shows have moved online since last September.
OqLiq is an innovative menswear brand by Taiwanese designer duo Orbit Lin (林家豪) and Houng chi (洪琪), whose collection uses functional fabric and the designs are inspired by traditional oriental culture.
This season, oqLiq returned with virtual 3D digital show at NYFW and London Fashion Week (LFW) to showcase their Fall/Winter 2021 collection. This new collection, inspired by "Creation of the Gods," a 16th-century Chinese novel of mythology, legends and fantasies, is a continuation of Spring-Summer 2021 theme "Natural Blessing (風調雨順)."
INF was founded in 2011 by Taichung-born designer Kuo Wei (郭瑋), who is well-known for patterns and cutting and structural transformable and versatile pieces. INF's collection is themed "Time Machine (時光機)" and features retro-style garments with a modern twist. INF has produced a video, with the scene set at a traditional Taiwanese grocery store run by an old lady who had a same-sex relationship for decades, using the story to allude fashionable old taste.
Chang Hui-chun (張惠君), director of the Taipei Cultural Center in New York, said that the Ministry of Culture in recent years has held Taipei Fashion Week to encourage integration of the local fashion industry and international presence of Taiwan's emerging designers. In the post pandemic world, Taiwan's capability in design will bring new vitality to the world.
The short film and virtual runway show are also available on INF and oqLiq's official YouTube channels.