We were lucky to catch up with Yinglun Zhang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yinglun, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project is probably my film project 22’ I collaborated with my friend Yi Xiong who is the director of this film. This is one of my first projects as synchronization of all aspects of my inspirations. fashion, choreography, and expressions with different media and with many artists that I had wanted to collaborate with before. It’s also a dream-come-true moment in which I’ve always wanted to merge fashion and performance/dance together, as one is complementary to the other rather than one serving the other. It allowed me to put my imagination into realization. After many people watched this, they told me it felt like they’ve just been in meditation, so even after the film has ended, they are still in the film, or the emotion while they’re watching it.

Overall, 22’ is my debut collection – fashion & film. There were many first times in this project – first time making a film, first time experimenting with improvisation in performance, and first time working with a set designer for the “stage” that portrays nature elements, …….

It also allowed me to get to know many new talented artists. As I love to collaborate with different people and experiment, this project brings together people who share similar insights, passion, philosophy, etc. which I feel the most grateful about.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a fashion designer, a dancer/choreographer, and a multidisciplinary artist. My work is significantly inspired by nature rhythms and Eastern philosophy. As a fashion designer and a dancer, I work closely with the body. My working system consists of three parts – the essence, the movement, and the performance of clothing. The essence is the body. As the body moves, garments flow with the body and create movements. The movements then become performances, exploring improvisation, consciousness, and presence.

Regarding my brand, IO STUDIO is a design concept label that includes fashion, lifestyle, philosophy, etc. The key idea is to relax, refresh and reflect in the echo of silence. As we are moving in an extremely fast-paced society, I understand that sometimes it is hard to stop or slow down, but I will always provide a space for people to come in and relax in the echo of silence……

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Doing what I love; truly trusting my instincts and going for it; enjoying the process; gratitude……

Every time when I start a project, it is either I’m struggling with or holding onto something. I start with those and research the philosophy behind it. So each time after the project is finished, I always learned a lot, and was able to let go of these things – and at the same time enjoying the creating process.

Being an artist and creative, while creating, I feel like I dig deep into my mind where I wouldn’t necessarily do normally. But while creating, I have to do so – many reflections and research and reflections again. And then afterward all I feel is a sense of gratitude, peacefulness, and relief.

Another thing is that being an artist or creative allows me to get to know many people who share the same aesthetics, feelings, and philosophies as me, and I think this is quite hard to find someone like this through daily conversations. But I guess art comes from the reflection of the artist oneself, so the resonance between us is very strong. Ultimately, it is the resonance that we are creating with our audience.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

It is really just telling a clear story through social media, and being engaged with my audience such as creating monthly playlists and mini journals for my audience to listen to and download for free. I try to convey the key concepts of my brand through visuals, sound, and the overall flow of the images.

Some advice would be to ask yourself, what is the tone of voice, and what is the purpose of your account? How is it inspirational, valuable, engaging, and educational? How do you interact with the audience? What’s the feeling you’re trying to create for your followers and what are their takeaways?    

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studio-i-o.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yinglunkkzhang/
• Other: IO STUDIO instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio____l___0/

Image Credits
Photos shot by Boyang Hu