Photos : Nick D for @precursorprints
SPITGAN : Love the new collection for SS2020. Can you tell us it's inspiration? We see a bunch of animals, Tamagochi's and toys.
Jason Lee : My theme for this season is, "I Don’t Wanna Grow Up". All the inspiration comes from my life, my daily life with my daughter. So you will see a lot of different toys, and animal elements appearing in this season's series. I may have been brainwashed by my daughter's children's songs...
Also, I want to use this season's collection to comment on people's desire to grow up, and fight against this idea. Conversely, if everyone can live like a baby, being cared for and nurtured, how good a life that would be!
SP : 我很喜歡新一季SS20！你可以告訴我是啟發自什麼嗎？我見到很多動物、他媽哥池和玩具！
JL : 我地今季SS20 的主題是 I Don’t Wanna Grow Up 。 所有的靈感來源都係圍繞我的生活，日常同女兒相處的經過。所以你會看到好多不同的玩具和動物元素出現在今季系列，可能是被女兒的兒歌洗腦了。
<< 中文譯本在英文之後 >>
SP : The collection seems more light, creative, and playful this year. Would you agree? Why?
JL : At present Hong Kong is full of sorrow and darkness. We want to bring happiness and joy to this society. Therefore, we wanted to add different colors this season to make the collective appearance more joyful. This season, we are not too concerned about business factors, we do not want to limit ourselves. We want to see through our creative idea 100%!
SP : Was this collection rather easy for you to design. I feel a certain immediacy to it, like it was designed rather quickly once you had the idea.
JL : I think that time management is a difficult thing for every designer. Everyone wants to express an idea in a limited amount of time. This season, I have went with a mindset that I knew what I wanted to do and did it. I did not spend very much time to think about it.
SP : What is new for you in this collection. Did you try any techniques for the first time? Materials? Were these experiments successful you feel?
JL : I think every season is a new challenge for YMDH, taking a new step. We are a new, small brand, and we don't have much support. Often times we want to try more techniques on the clothes, but we all have to find the right factory to co-operate with. It takes a lot of thought and spirit, plus it is a mandate for us to always local production.
This season we tried different printing, washing, and laser cut techniques. With regards to materials, we used insulated tin foil textile to sew one of our show pieces this season.
SP : How much did you consider the show presentation or visual impact of your collection this season. Was it on your mind when you designed?
JL : When I was creating it, I probably imagined the scenes displayed in this season collection. I didn't take into account how they would show in the show. I am not a result-oriented person. I enjoy the process. I only want to shock and surprise the audience and fashion fans.
SP : Describe your ideal customer. Who do you imagine them to be? Their qualities, interests, job, and age.
JL : I feel that people wearing YMDH are not bound by age or gender. It can be 10 to 80 years old, regardless of gender, as long as you think you are cool, you can match it and get it.
SP : Is designing for Asian women and men a priority for you?
JL : I only design clothes that I like. YMDH is designed with free sizes to accommodate people of different nationalities and different sizes.
SP : For a Hong Kong brand that makes such overt references to local culture why is so much of your imagery and social media NOT using Chinese models.
JL : We have also used native Hong Kong models. The concept of our brand is to promote Hong Kong's unique culture, and some underground art cultures to different people around the world. If I use Chinese models, I would rather use some normal Hong Kong people with a different story to tell.
SP : Who are some of your favorite designers?
JL : Mihara Yasuhiro, Kiko kostadinov, Virgil Abloh, Kim Jones, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto ...They are my first teachers. The stories and ideas behind each of them are worth learning. Success is not something that can be achieved overnight. Success requires hard work. Many people want to ignore the silent efforts behind the great man.
SP : If you could dress one celebrity in the bunny outfit, elephant outfit and balloon tank who would that be?
JL : I hope that Andy Lau can wear my elephant clothes and walk out saying that it will guide us. He is our democratically elected chief!
SP : What can we look forward to you in the near future?
JL : I wish to make more happiness.
<< 中文譯本在下面 >>
SP : 今次的系列比較天馬行空、比較有玩味對嗎？
JL : 當下的香港充滿憂傷和黑暗，我們想為這個社會帶來開心和歡樂。所以我們今季想加入不同的色彩，令整體更充滿歡樂。今季我們無太顧慮到商業因素，不想太規限自己，抱著一個天馬行空的想法去進行創作。
SP : 今次的新系列是否相對容易設計？我直覺覺得這次你一有主意就馬上完成了。
JL : 我覺得時間管理對每一個designer 來說都是一件難事，我們每人都希望在有限的時間把我們最想説的話用衣服來呈現給大家看。今季我本著一個想做就做的心態來進行創作，並沒有顧慮太多。
SP : 今次的系列中有什麼是新的元素？有沒有一些技巧或材料是第一次使用的？你覺得這些實驗成功嗎？
JL : 我覺得每一個season 對於YMDH 來説都是一個新挑戰，踏出新一步。我們是一個新的小品牌，並沒有很大的支援，很多時想多做一種功藝在衣服上，都要找尋合適廠房的去合作，花費的心思和精神並不少，加上我們一直都追求本地生產。
今季我們嘗試了不同的印花技術，洗水功藝和laser cut 的技術。在物料方料，我們亦選用了保溫的錫紙物料來縫製我們今季其中的一件show piece。
SP : 當你創作時你會考慮過在時裝秀時的視覺效果嗎？
JL : 我在進行創作的時候大概已經想像到今季系列展示出來的境象，畢竟他們都是我的創作。我並沒有考慮到他們在show中展示出來的成效，我不是一個著重成果的人，我享受過程，我只為了給觀眾和時裝迷帶來衝擊。
SP : 描述你想像中YMDH的顧客是怎樣的？你會想到誰？
JL : 我覺得穿著YMDH的人並不受年齡，性別的界限。10歲到80歲，不論男女，只要你覺得你cool ，你可以配搭得到你就來着吧。
SP : 你會針對性的為亞洲女性和男性設計嗎？
JL : 我只設計我喜歡的衣服。YMDH都是以free size來進行設計就是希望滿足到不同國籍、不同身型的人。
SP : 對於一個注重本地文化的香港品牌，為什麼你的相和社交媒體中都沒有使用中國模特兒？
JL : 我們曾經也選用過香港土生土長的模特兒。我們品牌的理念係所推廣香港獨有文化和一些地下的藝術文化到世界各地讓不同的人認識，如果說是要用Chinese Model我會比較喜歡有故事來自香港的素人。
SP : 誰是的最喜歡的設計師？
JL : Mihara Yasuhiro, Kiko kostadinov, Virgil Abloh, Kim Jones, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto 他們都是我的啟蒙老師。他們每人背後嘅故事和想法都十分值得我們學習。成功並不是一朝一夕可達成的，成功需苦幹，很多想人們忽略了偉人背後默默的努力。
SP : 如果你可以讓一位名人穿上你的兔仔、大象或氣球造型，他會是誰呢？
JL : 我希望劉德華可以穿上我的elephant outfit , 走出來說會帶領着我們。因為他是屬於我們的民間特首。
SP : 不久你未來，你會帶來什麼給我們？
JL : 我希望可以製造更多的歡樂
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