ANGIE CHUANG
“I went into this industry because of my mom,” says NYC-based designer Angie Chuang. “She dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, and then she passed her passion on to me. A lot of what I do is [about] making people feel like themselves and helping them see who they are.” After graduating from Parsons School of Design with a degree in fashion design, Chuang honed her technical skills at some of the industry’s most renowned fashion houses: Theory, Coach and Kenneth Cole, to name a few. While challenging conventions and blurring gender lines is at the core of Chuang’s aesthetic, the budding designer culls inspiration from all sources. No era or element is left unexamined, as some of the designer’s past collections have explored the visual arts (Russian Constructivism, for example), landscapes (Iceland) and even knotting details found in Japanese fishermen’s garments. Chuang’s storied collections have graced the runways of dapperQ fashion shows, in particular (most recently, “(un)Heeled: A Fashion Show for the Unconventionally Masculine” at the Brooklyn Museum). Aside from questioning convention and exploring new design innovations, the most gratifying aspect of her work is seeing people confident, empowered and in their own wearing her clothes, she says. –SLO
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