Inspired by fetishism and all things sexual, the noise of lust-induced freedom always holds a strong space in fashion. As we move through the lane of sexual power within its paradoxical history of shame and guilt, Maison Shangrila unveils the very celebration of femininity with her unapologetic and rather luring collection.

Shangrila my first question comes from being born and brought up in Asian culture and the social norms. How was life growing up? When did you first encounter the difference in gender treatment and social dichotomies?

As born in Asian culture, I experienced the concept of gender roles before I even remembered. We have been born with the concept of men need to do this and women need to do that. I still remember the time in primary school when they said “You are women. Your role is to support your husband, cleaning and cooking. If you don’t know how to cook, if you don't dress politely, you will never have success in life and bring shame to your family.”
At that young age, I had many questions about all mindsets. As I had known since that time, I will never fit into the description. Growing up was hard with all the expectations. Many conflicts are going on in my head. Whether I wanna be accepted or just wanna be what I actually feel I am. Women in Asia, expect us to be polite, to be as quiet as they describe the word feminine is, I still tried to make it until these few years ago, But until now my subconscious still tries to fit in those gender roles which I know well that it's not for me.

Please take us through your initial phases of exploring cultures, their differences, and the overall common political systems midst pursuing fashion as a professional and academic path at CSM.

CSM was my significant change. It was my first time discovering the freedom of being yourself and really exploring every angle of creativity. I was on a course called Graduate diploma. Where what we care about is all just about your identity, your aesthetic, and your people, everything is just about yourselves. I am not used to it at all when I first moved to London. I received a lot of freedom in my work. It was the first time I realized there's nothing wrong with being yourself. It doesn't need all the embellishment to be cool. It was quite a culture shock to me. Think of it now. I think the best thing about those times is how you met very different people that believe in different things, born in another environment. It all reflects on our language of design. But at the same time, it's not just about beautiful development, As the fashion industry is too competitive for that. It was a time when everyone realizes not just great design makes great designers, but also many factors, like publicity, connection, etc., and people there fight like crazy to stay.

Can I call both your archive and graduate collections more of the speculative art treatments to check how far society tolerates feminism and freedom in 2022? What do you have to say for the common mass still suffering from social phobias such as ours? How far art has cured you?

Totally! That is exactly the message I want to send, but I don't want to be specific to just women. Man, also the same or any gender you describe yourselves with, everyone deserves to be what they are. It's not we tolerate just feminism. I feel like people are judging everything that they don't feel used to. Femininity is just the easiest example, we could see. They just have the idea of what It should be and we cannot accept the differences. Such as man needs to be masculine, need to be strong, and they also could be fragile, and sweet. I want my work to speak more about that too.
I have been healed on my metal issue while I created art and also this graduate collection to be precise. Art has a way to cure. I feel like this collection was my safe space. I could scream. It feels like an empty wall where I could just write everything I think about. However, it could be back and force. Because all this fast-going fashion could bring you back to depression as well. Since fashion, it’s not pure art. Maybe it's more about balance, I think.

You have stepped up alongside many who bring light onto the common socio-political matter that has induced mental health issues specifically for feminine genders. Please tell us the triggers that you had to work through for your first collection “Utopian spoon”. What was the creative process like and why that name?

Utopia spoon was a different idea about how we place ourselves in an environment and how things define us. The idea was based on the spoon rings I often wear and it is sentimental to me. It is made from a spoon that has been cut and made to ring. People say they're just spoons, but to me, it's filled with feelings. My finger has been shaped in the same shape as the rings, the mark they leave when you pull it out. I don’t see any difference between that spoon and any of the diamond rings. The value of it is all just conceptual. It's pretty much like a punk. I was looking at stuff that people didn't value and questioning it. We could transform into something else, according to where we put ourselves. It's like I’m asking what we really are.
And somehow, I came up with the name “Utopia spoon”. We all dream of a better life, a heaven place, it's just all in our heads. And sometimes this name is also ironic. The contrasts of feeling between heaven and meaningless things. It's just how you perceive it.

Art and fashion are both playfully inspiring and intimidating subjects. You have worked on fetishism for your graduate collection. What do you have to say about the grey area that remains and feeds the creative tangent as a creative mind? In other words.. What more did you wish to include but refrained from because of design-oriented limitations?

I have a sense that the answer will never end. Our society is never going to be perfect. Sometimes the grey area is big, sometimes it's small just a matter of time and alteration. Right now, I'm concentrating on sexual expressions. The expression of identity is a fundamental need of every human, I feel that I have not experienced much when I was younger and a lot of people are the same as me. It's the first thing, I would like to work on.

Last but not least.. Why does one need to wear Maison shangrila for the main character's energy?

I would like to say they wear whatever they want. I don't feel a need to scream that you should wear Maison Shangrila, if you feel it is right, it is for you.
But to speak more visually. Maison Shangrila, We want to be the place you think when you want to shout the message. We want you to feel like it's a safe space, something you wear and feel like it's you. Perhaps not perfect, not so elegant, but one feels comfortable on the skin. Just like how ripped stockings meant so much to me when I was a punk. I screamed it out loud without speaking. Not everybody finds it pretty, a lot of guys call me on the streets every day, but I feel like it's part of my body. At least this is what Maison Shangrila aims to be and hopefully will be in the future.