CULTURE & DESIGN
Erica Chang is a fashion student at Ryerson University and one of our lovely PR interns. We asked Erica about the influence of her cultural heritage on her art and the importance of representation in fashion.
“As a fashion designer, student, and researcher, it is extremely important for me to incorporate my culture into my designs. Using artistic and meaningful approaches to connect my Taiwanese background with my Canadian upbringing, my design process comes natural to me. Being raised in a predominantly white neighborhood, it was not always this easy. I grew up molding my appearance and personality in the standards of Western beauty and societal norms. ”
The mental growth and education I experienced allowed me to see my culture and fashion career in a different light. I now take the majority of my inspiration from Taiwanese culture and symbolism to utilize for my craft.
From historical garments like the ‘Cheongsam’, to the iconic nightlife in Taiwan, I am constantly finding aspects of my culture to add my own design style to showcase.
Through continual research and appreciation of my Taiwanese background, an essential component to my design process is to find a balance between integrating my culture into my design aesthetic in hopes to create personality and meaning behind my work.
Consequently, I was further exposed to various forms of Western media that severely lacked inclusivity of races. This heavily shaped my approach to how I perceived myself as an individual and the fashion industry as a whole.
Being Taiwanese was not always something I took pride in. Yet by educating myself on racial inequalities as well as developing a healthier mindset, I was able to truly accept my personal identity by coming to both love and appreciate every aspect of it.
