10 Questions with Ruoyan Er

Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine ISSUE15 | Featured Artist

Ruoyan Er is an artist in the fashion realm, specializing in draping, garment construction, and textiles. With an MFA in Fashion earned in 2023, her career is as diverse as it is accomplished. She has made significant contributions to over 20 brands as a Freelance Designer. Her work has been featured in acclaimed publications and exhibitions, including Vogue. Passionate about exploring fabric texture and narrative, Ruoyan forms an intimate connection with fashion, believing it to be a profound bond with the wearer, akin to interpersonal relationships. As a storytelling designer, she skillfully uses design to convey emotions, serving as a visual language narrator. Her emotionally rich designs, infused with unique textures, transcend mere clothing, expressing profound meanings and representing a profound pursuit of wanderlust and emotion, injecting new vitality into the fashion world.

erruoyan.wixsite.com | @geki_b

ARTIST STATEMENT

As a contemporary artist, Ruoyan Er's work is inspired by a profound understanding of natural forces and the passage of time. Ruoyan believes "All things fall and are built again, And those that build them again are gay." This viewpoint fuels her passion for the texture of clothing, particularly how weathering alters it. For her, time is not just a force; it's an irresistible power that shapes and transforms. In her creations, time isn't a mere concept; it's a potent element that imbues each piece with a unique character. Ruoyan's art expresses an understanding of time's power and reverence for nature. She merges natural textures with fashion aesthetics, integrating the unique qualities weathering brings. Each fabric tells a story of time passing, and her designs echo the wonders of continuous change and rebuilding. Her work reflects an exploration of time and a love for natural beauty, offering a unique perspective on fashion design and innovation. She strives to explore the interaction between time and materials and its impact on human life and culture. Time isn't just linear; it's an omnipresent, eternal force, lending profound meaning to her creations.

AL-TIBA9 ART MAGAZINE ORIGINAL ISSUE15

INTERVIEW

As you mention in your biography, your journey in the fashion realm has been diverse, from Fragrance Marketing Assistant at LVMH to Draping Instructor at SCAD. How have these varied roles influenced your artistic vision and approach to fashion design?

My diverse professional experiences have provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the fashion industry. While working in Fragrance Marketing at fashion giant LVMH, I gained insights into brand marketing and consumer behavior, as well as the importance of aligning brand image with products. This experience at LVMH has enhanced my ability to consider brand positioning and target markets when designing. Additionally, serving as a Draping Instructor at SCAD deepened my understanding of the technical aspects of fashion design. I learned how to translate concepts into tangible designs and taught students how to express their creativity through draping techniques. These varied experiences have made me more attuned to the needs and aesthetic standards of different demographics, enabling me to better cater to the preferences and expectations of diverse audiences.

Can you discuss how your MFA in Fashion has shaped your understanding of garment construction, textiles, and your creative process?

Absolutely! Pursuing my MFA in Fashion has profoundly influenced my creative journey by deepening my understanding of garment construction and textiles and refining my creative process. Through hands-on exploration and experimentation, I've learned to appreciate the intrinsic qualities of different fabrics, allowing me to use their textures and patterns to connect with the emotions of the wearer and the storyteller. The program has provided me with invaluable opportunities to explore the tactile nature of textiles, enabling me to infuse my designs with a sense of authenticity and resonance. By weaving together fabric textures and garment construction techniques, I'm able to create pieces that not only look beautiful but also evoke a genuine emotional response. This grounded approach to design has enriched my creative process, allowing me to craft garments that speak to the heart and soul of both the wearer and the observer.

Your work is deeply inspired by "a profound understanding of natural forces and the passage of time," as you quote in your statement. How do you translate these inspirations into tangible elements within your designs, particularly in terms of fabric texture and narrative?

My design inspiration stems from a profound understanding of natural forces and the passage of time, playing a significant role in my creative process. I pay close attention to the textures and patterns of fabrics, as they can directly convey emotions and narratives. I choose materials that embody the beauty and changeability of nature, such as rough silk and hand-woven fabrics. By skillfully utilizing the textures and patterns of fabrics, I aim to create designs that are authentic and emotionally rich, allowing people to intuitively feel the power of nature and the passage of time. In my designs, I strive to create an experience that is closely connected to nature and emotionally rich. Much like knitting, which intricately weaves together threads, closely connected yet unable to break, my designs reflect the intimate relationships between people.

Could you elaborate on how you perceive the relationship between weathering, time, and the textures of clothing in your artistic practice? How do these elements contribute to the emotional richness of your designs?

When I was in college, my teacher, Haimei Cao, once shared a story about knots that deeply resonated with me and influenced my understanding of fashion design. Before the invention of writing, people used knots and weaving to convey information and record history. These weaving techniques served as bridges for communication among different tribes and communities, forming a silent language of their own. Over time, these knots and weavings accumulated countless stories and emotions, leaving profound traces behind. Therefore, when I design clothing, I seek to express these emotions and stories through texture and fabric. I choose natural fibers and specially treated fabrics to imbue the clothing with its own narrative, evoking memories and emotions from the wearer's past. This respect and awareness of history and human experience have become an integral part of my designs, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning behind clothing.

In your artist statement, you mention the concept of time as an irresistible force that shapes and transforms. How does this perspective inform the materials and techniques you select in your fashion creations?

This perspective profoundly influences the materials and techniques I employ in my fashion creations, particularly in the processes of knitting and dyeing yarn. I view knitting as a meditative and iterative practice reminiscent of the passage of time itself. When selecting yarns, I prioritize those with unique textures and qualities that reflect the organic evolution inherent in the passage of time. I experiment extensively with different yarn weights, fibers, and finishes to evoke a sense of temporal depth and complexity in my designs. Additionally, I embrace the serendipitous nature of dyeing yarn, allowing the colors to blend and interact unpredictably, mirroring the unpredictability of time's influence on our lives. Through these experimental processes, I aim to create garments that not only capture the essence of time but also celebrate its transformative power, inviting wearers to connect with the eternal dance of creation and change.

Each fabric tells a story of time passing in your designs. Can you share an example of how you incorporate narratives of time and change into a specific garment or collection?

In my collection "Serendipity: Vicissitude of Mine," I deliberately selected a diverse range of yarns with varying textures and weights. Each strand appeared to carry its own tale of time passing, interwoven into its fibers. It soon became apparent to me that the choice of yarn was just as pivotal as the selection of fabric in shaping the final design silhouettes. However, these effects weren't always immediately evident during the sketching process. Thus, I viewed this challenge as an opportunity for creativity. I wholeheartedly embraced the power of knitting, continuously adjusting tension and experimenting with various stitch patterns to intuitively understand the yarn's flow and structure. By addressing any deviations in the knitting process, I allowed room for unexpected shapes and structures to emerge organically.
Throughout this journey, the yarns unveiled their stories of time and change, sparking new ideas and forms for my designs. Through relentless experimentation and adaptation, I successfully interwove the narrative of the yarns' journey into my creations, resulting in unique and expressive garments.

You define yourself as a "storytelling designer" and use "design to convey emotions, serving as a visual language narrator." How do you approach the process of translating emotions and narratives into tangible fashion pieces?

I define myself as a "storytelling designer" because I've always found inspiration in listening to the stories shared by my friends, who are psychologists. These narratives are brimming with uplifting or poignant emotions that often defy complete expression in words alone. I firmly believe that emotions possess textures and colors, and each story is a rich tapestry worth immersing oneself in to truly feel its essence. Consequently, I am dedicated to translating these intricate emotions and narratives into tangible fashion pieces. My ultimate aim is to craft fashion that deeply resonates emotionally with people, serving as a conduit for storytelling through design.

Your work has been featured in acclaimed publications, including Vogue. How do you balance artistic expression and commercial viability in the fashion industry?

Balancing artistic expression and commercial viability in the fashion industry is undeniably challenging. It can be tough to prioritize avant-garde aesthetics when the ultimate goal is to appeal to the masses for sales. Therefore, this year, my design focus has predominantly centered on functional clothing, particularly in the realm of newborn swaddle designs. I firmly believe that, instead of becoming entangled in aesthetics and commerce, it's more advantageous to refocus on the wearer's experience itself. By prioritizing the needs and comfort of the wearer, I can ensure that my designs resonate with consumers while still upholding a sense of creative integrity.

Looking ahead, what future projects or themes are you excited to explore in your fashion design practice?

Yes! I've been deeply intrigued by the experimental techniques showcased by Coperni on their runway. Their incorporation of a latex-like material with spray painting techniques has ignited my curiosity. I've been pondering on how to leverage similar materials that emulate latex but provide distinct properties, such as enhanced flexibility and varied texture. Furthermore, I'm delving into methods to seamlessly integrate these materials with other fabrics, aiming to produce designs that are both distinctive and innovative.

And lastly, how do you envision your role as a contemporary artist shaping the future of fashion design and innovation, particularly regarding sustainability?

As a contemporary artist, I perceive my role as integral to shaping the future of fashion design and innovation, particularly in the realm of sustainability. My aim is to delve into new materials and technologies to introduce groundbreaking concepts to the industry. For example, in addressing the pressing issue of leather pollution, I will actively seek and advocate for more environmentally friendly alternatives, moving beyond traditional leather. Moreover, I will shed light on the limitations of certain purportedly sustainable materials, such as mushroom leather, which may present unforeseen environmental challenges during production, prompting a deeper examination of sustainability criteria.
Furthermore, I am committed to urging designers to infuse sustainability into the core of their designs, ensuring that it transcends mere rhetoric. I firmly believe that technology should serve as a potent ally rather than an impediment to sustainable fashion. Therefore, I will actively collaborate with experts in the technology sector to develop innovative and eco-friendly solutions, propelling the fashion industry toward a more sustainable future. Through these endeavors, I aspire to redefine the landscape of fashion design, fostering a culture of environmental consciousness and progressive innovation.