Today we’d like to introduce you to Peiyang (camille) Li
Hi Peiyang (camille), it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In fact, I started with fashion because when I was young, my father would buy me Disney Princess series magazines. Every few issues, the magazine would come with some stickers for readers to match the princesses’ outfits themselves. Later on, it was all about constantly meeting different people, learning about various resources, and then step by step, I successfully became an alumnae of the top fashion school “Parsons School of Design” in the United States.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Actually, I feel that this path is not easy to tread, but it’s not particularly difficult either. My family is not in this industry. However, their education has always inspired me to think and explore for myself in everything, just like a young eagle must eventually leave the protection of the eagle and hunt on its own. Because I am a very disciplined person in my career and have high demands for myself, my efforts have actually made up for the fact that I don’t come from a fashion industry background.
For instance, to gain some knowledge about fashion before entering university, I specifically went online and use connections from people around me to find specialized training academies. I used my free time to advance my skills and creative ideas in advance.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a multidisciplinary designer based in Shenzhen, China and the New York City area – as well as a part-time professional astrology consultant. My areas of interest and practice include crocheting, macrame braiding, ruching, machine knitting, hand knitting, and modern astrology. Growing up in three cities allowed me to encounter people from all different cultural backgrounds and disciplines. Most of my collections are inspired by the stories that I collected during the astrological consultations. Deeply influenced by the Western and Oriental ideology, my brand‘s storytelling often raises ethical questions through various textile-based approaches. I am interested in exploring topics that are all around us, but what we are afraid to discuss.
I believe what makes me most proud is my courage to expose the “evils” of society. Most of my inspiration revolves around suppressed stories, whether it’s about animal protection or workers in certain special industries, such as the Taiwanese “mama-san” in the 1980s. My original intention in fashion design is to make people reflect on whether some traditions should still exist in this society, and whether some professions are truly as “unspeakable” as they are perceived.
Likewise, my optimistic attitude and courage, which I consider a kind of spirit and mindset, make me stand out. Many clothing techniques are actually developed through self-expansion and practice, but a person’s qualities, character, and aspired traits are very difficult to imitate. After all, everyone has their own unique philosophy of life. Regardless of whether my works succeed or fail, I hope to convey my vision of life through them, hoping that people will reduce “evil” and increase respect and tolerance.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Well, I think I’m relatively conservative myself, but I feel that choosing fashion design is a risk-taking behavior for many people around me. Many Asian parents have more traditional concepts and hope that their children choose the most lucrative industries, rather than allowing them to fulfill their dreams. Fortunately, I come from a more open-minded family. However, thr society is very diverse now, and I believe that every industry will have its time of being popular and times of being over-saturated. Just like some people say, the fashion industry is now considered a sunset industry, and the field of computer science is very saturated, but who knows, in a few years, people might no longer view working in the fashion industry as a risk-taking choice, but rather as a sought-after opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lipeiyang2001.wixsite.com/peiyangli
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camille_010101?igsh=ZnZqMnczNWRudjRq&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peiyang-li-a3813b251
- Other: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/630752ed000000000f0060db?xhsshare=CopyLink&appuid=630752ed000000000f0060db&apptime=1721412034&share_id=60991f2cec2b42a59165169f30bf7a7f
