Volt Café: Where in China did you grow up?
Peiran Gong: North East of China, a city called Dalian.
VC: Did your origins influence your way of designing?
PG: I developed my methodology in design mostly in London. So speaking of design, London is more influential to me. But I think the Chinese culture runs deep down under my skin.
VC: What’s the biggest difference between the design academy in Beijing and the one in London?
PG: In China, mostly the program is designed based on courses in different skills, five weeks of pattern cutting and then four weeks of design course, something like that. We don’t do tutorials on regular basis.
VC: Why did you choose these exciting but unusual materials for your S/S 13 collection?
PG: I needed the exact effect. So it has to be a little bit stretch, a smooth surface, one that can be shaped into a piece of sculpture, and of course a bit quirky.
VC: What techniques do you use for the prints on your designs?
PG: There are several techniques, digital print, dye sublimation, UV print…
VC: What inspired you to make this collection?
PG: My collection is inspired by a science fiction story by Robert A Heinlein called All You Zombies. The characters in the story, men or women, old or young are actually the same person because of the paradox of time travel.
VC: The concept of your collection is about time travel and gender transformation. What are the visual aspects you used in this collection to demonstrate this?
PG: I tried to create an interface with a gender transition, using menswear details in womenswear. 3D details all come from flat surface to capture the moment of the transforming. I tried to merge different elements together. 70’s style prints, menswear details, a 40’s silhouette, contrasting shading colors from sci-fi book covers collide and balance at the same time.
VC: What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? And why?
PG: A white/ blue long dress with diagonal stripes, very graphic, it makes me happy.
VC: Do you have a muse…if so, whom and why?
PG: Not really, maybe an imaginary muse.
VC: How would you describe your personal style?
PG: Retro-futuristic, graphic, a bit of humour and unusual fabrics.
All images courtesy of Ella Dror PR