Dan Liu NYFW FW18 | Peril Romanticized
Represented by The Riviere Agency.
When a show is named after the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, a certain number of expectations are created. We expect the clothing to exude the undeniable sensuality the Bond woman possesses, wrapped together with a certain class and haughty hard-to-get.
We went behind the scenes before Dan Liu’s Fall/Winter 2018 show to ask him about his collection and about himself.
The show’s title “The Spy Who Loved Me,” came about after Dan and his team pulled off an “mission impossible” by putting together the collection last minute. Due to personal reasons, he explained, everything was backed up and Dan thought he would not be able to make this show happen. But he did, and so it got him thinking about nearly impossible missions, like his, and that’s when James Bond came to mind. “The spy who loved me is the first movie where James Bond met the Russian spy to help him to solve the crime. The bond girl is not the girl to sleep with him and die”. It’s exactly what he wanted from this collection. “It’s all about the Bond girl; the women are sophisticated and have what they need to accomplish their mission.”
Dan Liu: NYFW FW18
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Teamwork is what enabled Dan to show this collection and claims it’s the most important thing he has learned since becoming a designer. In the most honest and modest fashion, Dan explains “without anyone here, I am nobody. Everyone has to do their job the best they can in order to pull it off. I am honored to have everyone here.”
With such a strong market in Asia and Southeast Asia, I asked Dan about intellectual property protection from a designer’s perspective. “Four days after the show, you will see the clothing on Chinese websites.” Counterfeit products are an issue and not to be tolerated, he admits, but clothing that mimics his own without purporting to be an actual Dan Liu design, he has a different opinion. “I am happy that, because of my design, a lot of people can make a living. If you think of it from a positive side, you should be happy your design is so good that people have to copy it to make a living.”
I asked Dan what trend he doesn’t loving right now, and his answer was as honest as his previous ones. “I love all trends” he giggles, realizing that sounds a bit clique, “but really, fashion is simple – look your best, represent who you are, and in a way where people can see your characteristics.” He continued, “if a trend doesn’t fit you, you can always work with it to make it your own style; don’t just follow a trend that is against your own preference.” He reiterates a value his fashion school believed in, which was “respect individual taste” and to Dan, that is what he hopes to do as a designer for his customers.
Dan’s collection showed, with the James Bond Theme Song playing throughout. His pieces, true to his prior collections, showed feminine cuts and baby pink hues. Peeks of lace underlay extending past skirts and dresses were found on several pieces. My favorite part of the show? The various sizes and colors of the models, a refreshing scene on the NYFW runway.
Congratulations to Dan Liu for making a mission impossible happen.
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With love,
FWO
