Men’s fashion is changing and Tommy Wan is one of the new trend setting designers to confirm that. Mixing gender fluid elements, highlighted by blue tones he creates distinctive menswear that turn long-established clothing into modern fashion.
You are a fashion designer at YMMOT, can you tell us a little bit about it and when it started?
It all started when I was working on my BA graduate collection in Hong Kong. I wanted to set a direction for all my future designs, the name YMMOT is a playful take on my name Tommy, I want my design to be fun and diverse, and I like it when people don’t know how to pronounce it. Then I continued my MA in menswear design at the University of Westminster in London, where I kept developing my design and luckily got discovered by more stylists and artists in the industry.
Your designs are often covered in cold tones. What does blue symbolize to you?
Blue always comforts me and looks good on me. I am always obsessed with things in blue, the sky, the sea. To me, blue represents strong but in a subtle way, I don’t like to be loud, but I do stand for my values all the time.
Your work is a unique blend of modern and traditional design. Where do you draw inspiration from when coming up with new ideas for your designs?
I take inspiration mostly from my personal experience and love. Every time I think of a new design, I think about what I want people to know more about me. In my MA graduate collection “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”, I was inspired by my obsession and fetish, and explored the definition of the “Ideal” guy to date and be in love with, also some sexual fantasy.
How do you feel that the trend in men’s fashion is changing?
A tutor once told me that men’s fashion must be masculine, and that’s what I think is changing exactly. Nowadays we can see a lot of unisex and feminine elements in different menswear runway, such as corsets and high heels. It is all about gender fluidity and we can be who we are and always be proud of it.
Overall in fashion, I think that technology such as virtual art, CGI and 3D modelling will also be a big trend. It is surely changing the way we used to present our ideas and design.
Apart from being a fashion designer, you are also a videographer. Are you planning on combining these two in the future?
I did create a fashion film for my own design, but I think it does require a lot of skills to make it perfect. I am still starting out to film and edit video, and definitely need more practise before I actually combine my design and video skills together.
What are you working on right now? What are your plans for your next collection?
I am currently working full time as an editor at a men’s lifestyle magazine in Hong Kong, and keep creating new designs in my free time. I think it is a good opportunity for me to gain more knowledge on designing in an editorial way. For my next collection, I am preparing to show people more about my vulnerability, which is how I am unconfident with my body figure and how I am improving on it, hopefully by finishing the collection I will also be happier with myself.
Instagram: @t0mmywan
Instagram YMMOT: @ymmotbytommy
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