FLORENCE- Season after season, Pitti Uomo designers aim to stand out against competing global brands. At Pitti Uomo 92, we found Chris Ran Lin, a Chinese born Australian who weaves his own wool masterpieces by hand and develops his own braided stitching techniques that propel his designs into the future.
Our editor in Chief Sofia Celeste was at the Australia Guest Nation pavilion and spoke with the designer:
SC: Why wool and why Australian wool?
CR:I have a really strong interest in knitwear, so as you can see all these techniques are really interesting, in terms of color, technique, combination of style and deeper texture. I think wool has becomes a really premium material in my design, and in my brand as well. Since I started my label I began with really sculptured knits. So with this collection, I tried combining different materials and textures together to push what we can do with knits and for guys as well.
SC: And it’s all made in Australia as well?
CR: Yes they are all made in Australia, particularly for the knitwear. I knit it myself.
SC: And where did you learn to knit?
CR: I’m self-taught. At UNI, I did fashion design but we didn’t learn to knit, so I just played with knitting and I am just self-taught.
SC: This is a very luxury product. Is that your aim?
CR: I try to conjure appreciation for mens wear by creating something that my customers or the audience respect. But if you buy something that people simply call luxury…. that’s not really luxury just because you say it is.
SC: Who’s your target?
CR: For people who are fashion forward and enjoy being themselves.
SC: Is it influenced by skater culture or more contemporary Urban?
CR: I think it’s more contemporary and that’s what I enjoy to do as well. I really like contemporary art as well, like something to express yourself. Nowadays everyone just tries to express themselves, whether it is through their lifestyle or social media or whatever… they just get it out there and try to tell people ‘who i am’ and ‘what I’m doing’ and ‘what’s my lifestyle’. Fashions a way to communicate what your lifestyle is and tell more about your identity. And I like that about fashion… you can be unique, you can be special.
