China's cutting-edge designer SIPEI/RUIQI interview: Fashion should not be easily defined by others

This year, it is exactly the 10th year when the two designers formally entered the apparel industry. With 10 years as a node and a brand new starting point, SIPEI/RUIQI clearly has sufficient preparation and control. After the brand's first series of autumn/winter 2016 was approved by the buyer's market, the new 2017 Spring/Summer series also made its debut on December 16. This season's costume theme has shifted from the previous season's "The New Retro and the Queen of Tall" to the modern "Assembly Geometry", just like their understanding of life and fashion: "Life has no fixed script You can walk step by step, everyone's ideas should not be easily defined by others, fashion is also the case."

One minute to understand SIPEI/RUIQI (Si Pei / Rui?)

(Designer Yuan Sipei and Lu Rui?)

Yuan Sipei Design Manager

2007-2015 Design and Planning at HF ​​diguition

In 2016, a joint partnership was established to create Rui Shi Fashion Studio

Lu Rui? Brand owner

Graduated from Trent University, Nottingham, UK, Master of International Fashion Management

2007-2013 Director of Hai Lansi Fashion Planning

From 2014 to 2014, he was the general manager of the family-owned enterprise Rui Rui Fashion Group

Founder of Reed & Seed Reed Seed

In 2016, in the 10th year of the two companies jointly entering the apparel industry, they jointly established SIPEI/RUIQI.

Studio location: Beijing

Design Philosophy: SIPEI/RUIQI prefers the use of neutral colors in black and white gray, highlights the processing and changes in structural design, and emphasizes design details. It can be said that the design brand has always been influenced by many important ideas in the past, while at the same time it retains the obvious modern aesthetic values. In this era of rapid development and independent thinking, fashion should not be easily defined, but rather express itself and lead the current fashion trend.

(SIPEI/RUIQI 2017 Spring/Summer Collection)

Interview with designer Pei / Rui?

Q1: What is the theme of the Spring/Summer 2017 series? What's special about fabric, design, and structure?

Si Pei: The theme of the new season's clothing is “Assembly Geometry”. Using geometric elements in a flat or three-dimensional form, this season’s costumes are more interesting and richly assembled in color, fabric, and structure.

In terms of color, both of us prefer to use neutral colors of black and white ash, based on black and white ash, because it is spring and summer, especially joined the fresh and elegant apricot pink.

In the fabric combination, on the one hand, the use of yarn, thickness, and even the style of the fabric of different combinations, the quality of the representatives of acetate fiber and mulberry silk, comfortable and crisp cotton, and translucent but boney yarn quality, etc.; On the one hand, the secondary processing of conventional fabrics is designed. In addition to using embroidery and jacquard processes to achieve the performance of geometric forms, the laser cutting process makes the original geometric figures hollow on the fabric to enrich the sense of layering and three-dimensionality.

Both of us admire the modern minimalist design concept, and we must repeatedly review the details of the tedious and redundant details, and keep a brief outline of the geometrical three-dimensional representation. The design details for Spring/Summer 2017 are focused on overturning the traditional version of the shape and reconstructing the dividing lines of the paper, such as making local modifications in the rotator cuffs, waists, misplaced stitching, lamination, and drawstrings.

Q2: The design of the new season was inspired by the works of the artist Astrid Fitzgerald, including the series "Structure", "Collage" and "Screen". What are these series that attracted you?

Rui?: Instead of being attracted, it is better to be resonating. As a designer, he is particularly sensitive and concerned about structure and lines in his life. Looking at the world in which we live, many are inspired by the ubiquitous textures, including architectural structures, indoor installations, and graphic designs. These single geometric shapes assemble a hierarchical structure that is regularly or irregularly arranged. , To form a coordinated, unique, and powerful visual effects. This intricate world is represented by the abstract forms of elements such as points, lines, faces, and bodies.

Q3: The theme of the previous season's costumes was "The New Retro and Tall", and the theme of this season did not continue to be retro. You can share the theme of how you select each season.

Si Pei: Every quarter of design inspiration comes from the world and life that we come in contact with. It is an expression and output of what we hear, see, and perceive. When one thing deeply attracts you, there will be many stories about this thing that you want to share.

Q4: What are the necessary factors for designing for you?

Rui?: Beautiful, concise and practical, and the impact this design has on people, their lives, and their society.

Q5: Can you say that you are expressing yourself through SIPEI/RUIQI?

Si Pei: It can be said, but not all. Our design is bound to be greatly affected by personal subjective awareness and ideas, but on the other hand, we hope that people who wear this design will be free, they will be able to be themselves, and this design can also express them. .

Q6: SIPEI/RUIQI is a new brand established this year, but in fact you have been in the industry for 10 years. Can you share the experiences and gains of this decade? What has been the impact of past experience on the establishment of SIPEI/RUIQI?

Rui Lu: In the past decade of the fashion industry that we have experienced, the big women's brands have grown up rapidly. They have gradually gone from ups and downs in the golden period to transforming them. The gains and the puzzles they face are as many. We have experienced the honour of performance, and have also experienced the difficulties of change. Consumers, the media, the market, and society have all been making rapid changes, and we have been constantly responding to changes. When we really went back to the matter of clothes, we experienced unprecedented ease of relaxation and clear thinking. This was the biggest impact on SIPEI/RUIQI.

Q7: Do you two designers have division of labor in specific jobs?

Si Pei: I am the chief designer and Rui is the brand owner.

Each quarter of the design we will together with the direction and theme of the big, the two together to draw design drawings together to discuss the design details, determine the color, determine the fabric and so on. Because of the educational background of the International Fashion Management Masters at Trent University, Nottingham, UK, the overall brand management and management is the core of management and control.

Q8: Share your usual work process and arrangements.

Rui?: I have always had the habit of doing scrapbooking since I was in school. I have collected all the attractive pictures and content that I am interested in. Every time I look at it, new ideas will appear. Then there will be a lot of discussion with Peipei until we determine the direction of the topic. Pei Pei will spend more time and energy in the production process of the pattern process and surface materials.

Q9: Where can I purchase SIPEI/RUIQI in China?

Si Pei: The cities we have settled in include: Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian, Shijiazhuang, and Hefei. The brand names of the buyers are: anyshopstyle, sowhat, moss, picking, Round Round, Miss As, London station...

Q10: If consumers cannot reach these buyers, are there other channels to buy your clothes?

Si Pei: In addition to offline buyers, we also cooperate with many online platforms, and also have our own Taobao official corporate stores.

Q11: What are the next plans and goals for the brand?

Rui?: We have also had some discussions on the development of the brand. In the end, we will reach such a consensus. We will do everything in front of us and we will not do it.