Izzy Du is no longer student but I put her in this series since she just recently graduated The Royal Academy to debut her first collection “Provenance.” Her work pushes the boundaries of what can be done with puffer materials and 3D design. I got the chance to speak to her about what it’s like as a graduate and am pleased to share it with the world. This interview was assisted by my talented intern @lucassomlo.
Can you tell me about your evolution as a designer and how your interests have changed? You now primarily focus on puffer garments, what about the material intrigues you/helps with the design construction.
I played around with many different materials to achieve the dimensions I had in mind, materials I still integrate now but with subtlety, and for my first collection at the Academy 4 years ago, I created my first full puffer look and it changed my direction and focus. I love the versatility of the material and the room for experimentation and variety. It allows for comfort, utility and imagination.
Your first collection looked at the work of Dekooning who abstracted the human shape in his drawings…defying traditional silhouettes seems to be at the core of your work. Can you tell me more about this…does the subversion of shape relate to a defiance of gender roles/imposed physical ideals or is it more about the technical experimentation ?
I am not purposefully defying gender roles, it is more that I choose to neglect them. I focus on areas of different body types to accentuate and the rest is up for interpretation. As to tradition, traditional garments and silhouettes are actually at the core of my work. I believe you must understand traditional garment making if you want to play and go further.
Your work has an anti fashion ethos in the untraditional silhouettes, they slightly remind me of the comme des garçons 1997 dress meets body body meets dress collection. Did you study fashion history at all at the academy, is it important for a new designer to know about what’s been done before?
Thank you, I appreciate it. But I feel that is a very common reference that goes for any designer today using wadding or stuffing as a medium. It is true that forgetfulness of the past is the reason why people accept something as a new invention and rave about the genius of a creator while forgetting the original. This is what makes for a disposable society. Therefore it is the designers responsibility to know their inspirations and to nod to their references. We live in times where we are creating sub-categories, innovations come in somewhat more subtle forms as we build upwards and on top of undeniable pre-existing foundations.
How do you come up with the shapes you make in your outfits? Have you always been interested in geometric/cubic shapes? Is it difficult to design within a 3d plane versus a 2d one?
Form intrigues me and I play around with that intrigue until I identify the forms I want to make physical. Designing 3D and 2D are of similar principles, it is like flying a plane or driving a car, some people like to do both.
You often shoot your models in the outdoors and you’ve written about your love for sunsets. Is there a particular rural location that has influenced you most? Where is your favorite place to visit?
The coordinates in the Izzy Du /Lifeline logo lead to my favourite cave, the Naica Crystal Caves. It is not open to public anymore but I will find a way to go one day.
In a recent interview you said you are inspired by the colours of the sky and space. Is there anything else in nature that inspires you and do you have plans to stray away from the colours of the sky and look down instead?
My feet are on the ground so of course, naturally, I do look down. The earth and its textures inspire me greatly as does landscape, both urban and natural.
What does your most ideal future look like for you as a designer?
I don’t have an ideal future in mind but I want to bring the brand to maturity and continue to develop and evolve it, I would love to head a house at some point, that would be interesting. And I have some more complicated ideas and collections which I have been working on slowly over the last years that will take some more years to realize. I look forward to having the freedom and means to doing so