The Four Taiwanese Designers Making Their Mark on London

"From sedimentary knits to sculptural forms inspired by the soul’s passage, four Taiwanese designers brought an elemental vision to Fashion Scout."

The FJU Talents x Fashion Scout selection posed a thoughtful question about the human condition and our place in the world. Every year, the platform, sponsored by the College of Fashion and Textiles at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, selects four emerging alumni to present at Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week, offering them vital international exposure. This season’s chosen designers, Ying Chu, Yi-Zhen Lin, Chih-Wen Kuo, and Juan Juan Xu, each offered a distinct perspective on how clothing can articulate our deepest emotions and connections to nature.

The showcase opened with the work of Ying Chu, a Royal College of Art graduate whose knitwear explores human emotion through textiles. Her ‘Liminal Forms’ collection drew on Taiwanese cultural imagery of the soul’s passage after death, using a palette of black, white, and grey to evoke an otherworldly quality. The styling with leather accessories and combat boots gave the collection a tangible weight, reminiscent of the heaviness of a spiritual journey.

Ying Chu's 'Liminal Forms' used frayed knitwear to evoke a spiritual, otherworldly quality

Designer Chih-Wen Kuo's 'Sedimentation' collection translated the textures of rock formations into i

Yi-Zhen Lin's 'Vivid Swirl' collection used kaleidoscopic colour-blocking on ribbed knits to create

In stark contrast to Chu’s solemn palette, Yi-Zhen Lin’s ‘Vivid Swirl’ injected the runway with a shock of colour. Using colour-blocking on ribbed knit fabric, Lin created unusual shapes that subverted the typical contours of the body, successfully mimicking the shifting visuals of a spinning kaleidoscope.

Where Lin used knitwear to explore explosive colour, Chih-Wen Kuo’s collection, ‘Sedimentation’, took its inspiration from rock formations, highlighting the bumpy and gritty textures found in nature. His intricate mix of denim and knit within single garments gave a cohesive look that cleverly reflected the multi-step process of how sedimentary rocks are formed.

Models showcase the playful shapes and colourful fabrics of Yi-Zhen Lin’s collection

Dramatic hair and makeup looks complemented the showcase's conceptual designs. Credit: Nicie Berle

Models from Ying Chu's 'Liminal Forms', where knitwear explores spirituality. Credit: Val stuppia

The final designer, Juan Juan Xu of juanpak.o, moved from the geological to the interpersonal. Her collection, ‘Inter-Shadow’, was memorable for its choice of fabrics, sculpting what appeared to be neoprene into 3D dresses, jackets, and trousers. With prints of hands appearing on looks that referenced natural features, the models, adorned with black and white finger guards, offered a poignant commentary on the limits we’ve placed on human connection in the 21st century.

A backstage portrait of a model from Chih-Wen Kuo's 'Sedimentation' collection. Credit: Val stuppia

Models from Ying Chu's 'Liminal Forms', where knitwear explores spirituality. Credit: Val stuppia

A model from Yi-Zhen Lin’s ‘Vivid Swirl’ collection with its kaleidoscopic colours. Credit: Val stup

A quiet moment backstage with a model from Chih-Wen Kuo's 'Sedimentation' show. Credit: Val stuppia

Collectively, the FJU Talents showcase was a powerful statement on the thoughtful, technically skilled, and conceptually rich work emerging from Taiwan. The four designers presented a unified vision of fashion as a medium for deeper storytelling.