FROM MEDICINE TO FASHION
BY FAN ZHANG
Alison Tsai is a fashion designer who was graduated from Parsons MFA, Design of Fashion and Society. Now she is working on Fashion area. Fourtnately I interviewed her and shared some opion with her.
Fan:
Hi Alison, I'm so glad to talk to you. May you tell me a short introduction about yourself. Before doing this job, what did you study or work on?
Alison:
I'm graduated from the Physical Therapy Department National YangMing University in Taiwan and then worked in a cancer center about four yea. I mainly work on the postoperative rehabilitation for the mastocarcinoma people. I was only focused on my business at that time.
Fan: So why you want to study on fashions?
Alison:
Actually, I was interested in art and design when I was a little girl. However my family was very conservative, they are mostly working for government or teachers. I'm the oldest in my family, so they hope me can focus on my studies. Therefore, when I want to study on arts majors in high school, they were opposed to me strongly. After the conflict, I decided to continue study with the original major.
When I work in the cancer center, I attended some short class about fashion at leisure. Also, I did lots of handmake kinds of stuff. One opportunity is that I was selected by a large game. After that, I use the works for the game applied the postgraduate of Parsons. At this time, my parents began to support me.
Fan: I understand that you did the science and medicine this kinds works before. To be honest they do not have too much relation to fashion. So what influences do you think that the past study and job experiences have on nows?
Alison: I could use two my projects, Coding Non-Stop and Coding Non-Stop Series 2 as examples to explain to you. I think is because I study since and medicine, which is serious you know, so I like to experiment by my best. For example. I would try the hand feeling, weight, stretchability hundreds of time until I think it is the best way. Another part is the shape of cloth. Actually, I do not pursue the strange or attraction way in shape. May because the background of mine, I studied the medicine about the body for many years, so the product install and clean.
Fan: What method do you ususally use to create a new project?
Alison: I read a lot, and also view pictures. When I saw the artwork which is interesting I would search it in deeply, and I would spend a night to read the relative information. The mother when I create new things is similar. I read then conclude the main information. The other positive is that this could help me to accumulate my knowledge. When I meet choke point, I can solve it fastly.
By Alison Tsai
Fan: I see. So before started a project, where did you usually get inspiration from?
Alison: I get inspirations from everything, like my life. Also like I said before, I read many books so that also help me. Now I also pay close attention to social and international problems. Furthermore is the technology, you know that the technology developed significantly. In my understanding that all arts and design stuffs is showing yourself. It depends what a kind of person you are and how you feel that, so mostly I got my inspiration then add to my own feeling to arts and life.
Fan: You said that it depends on the different people, so for you, what is the most important thing in design?
Alison: It is very simple to me. The most important thing is that the design product is useful. The design is serving people, so we need to consider the function and convenience.
