Steven Tai
When the ANDAM prize nominees were announced, there was little surprise to see Canadian-born, London-based designer Steven Tai among those named. Tai is known for his “bookworm edginess” aesthetic, which has seen him go on to win the Hyères Chloé prize in the past. We asked the decidedly geeky designer, who still works with his mother on his collections, how he felt about being nominated for ANDAM alongside Iris van Herpen and Rad Hourani, and what it’s like being part of the cool kids’ gang…
Sleek: How do you feel about your recent ANDAM nomination?
Steven Tai: I suppose it’s a bit daunting… It’s such a high level of candidates and prestige. It means a lot to me because it shows that what we’re doing is getting attention, what we believe in is being recognised. I think it’s fantastic – I feel very honoured and nervous. There’s a certain list of things they need and the deadline is really soon! It’s a competition so there’s a level of stress to it.
You recently won the Hyères Chloé prize, how important are these kind of prizes to a young designer like yourself?
These competitions are a very crucial window in terms of recognition and press, because there are so many of us who graduate – there are designers popping up every year. It does take these kinds of events or establishments to highlight the new designers that we should be paying attention to.
In terms of winning, I think that you never really know what the juries are looking for. Taking part is what’s important and taking what you can get out of it.
Did competitions like this make you more willing to go out on your own?
Oh yeah, definitely. If it weren’t for winning Hyères I wouldn’t have started my own label.
You have a technical fashion background, how does that affect your collections?
My biggest influence is my mother, who worked a lot on technical clothing – it’s the sportswear element. I am still working with my mum on production now, so she’s still affecting it!
Your collections really play on the idea of being a geek – why is this so important to you?
I take references that I liked as a child – it might not always be a geeky inspiration, but that’s how I interpret it. It always comes out a little bit awkward. It’s always a reflection of the current time. I think [my collections] are growing up from entering the market and finding out who this girl is.
You’ve shown your clothes all over the world – which has been your favourite place?
Berlin was such a memorable one, just because the vibe is really exciting: the fashion week is growing stronger and everyone is paying more attention to it. On another, very practical side, Mercedes-Benz was the sponsor. So, we had 300 models lining up outside for a casting. They just take care of everything in terms of press, lighting, models – everything was fantastic! It was also my first one. All of that made it very special show.
You also showed in New York as part of the VFILES show – how did you find it working with them?
It was unexpected: they’re just so cool! I feel like I’m the one in the background and they’re the cool kids! They were so supportive though – it was a very short timeframe, and New York is first in scheduling. We were a bit hesitant, but they really wanted us to do it, so we just didn’t sleep for two weeks.
How would you say NY is different to other cities you’ve shown in?
The North American accent sounds relaxed but actually they work really hard! It’s not like Paris. It’s so full on!
When you think of New York, you think of Jason Wu or Philip Lim and it’s very sophisticated. But, the VFILES world is very different: experimental and urban. People are paying more attention to this world…