By Camille Huang

Hochi Huang works with durable technical fabrics that protect from varied weather conditions and help regulate body temperature. Her clothing designs present styled simplicity with an urban vibe.

Vert, Hochi’s graduate work, caters to sustainable commuters who are shifting their daily commute from cars to more sustainable transport modes such as public transit, walking, and biking. Vert is specifically tailored to harmonize and balance modern aesthetics and high-performance men’s fashion clothing. It offers a new dimension of freedom with functional, masculine, and urban tailoring.

Vert will be unveiled at 2018 The Show presented by Tamoda Apparel Inc., on April 19 and 20 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) new purpose-built Wilson School of Design building. The beautiful and innovative $36-million building houses a range of design programs including the fashion-design-and-technology program. Thirty-one other lines by KPU fashion design and technology students will also be showcased.

For event details, visit kpu.ca/2018fashionshow or follow @wilsondesignkpu on Instagram.

Camille Huang: Describe your collection.

Hochi Huang: Vert is a collection of technical and fashionable clothing for male commuters who are inspired to reduce emission and pollution. They do this by commuting through green modes of transportation, which often expose them to the elements and micro climates in the Lower Mainland.

CH: Who or what was the inspiration behind your line?

HH: My inspiration came from military attire and veterans who fought post–World War II. I had strong connection and felt empathic to their life experience, and appreciated their efforts and sacrifice that led to peace for descendants and generations to come. I incorporated many elements from this into my design. These include a military vest, straps, buckles, functional and over-sized pockets, hoods, and ergonomic cuts.

CH: Walk me though your creative process.

HH: My creative process starts with identifying the purpose of designing. Who are the end users? What are their requirements and expectations? I need to know this to achieve the expected end results.

I’ll find my inspiration, whether it’s an image, a person’s story, or film; most of my inspiration comes from everyday life, my community, or surroundings. When I find inspiration, my mind usually spins with lots of ideas, and I start to envision an end result by combining aesthetics and pragmatic aspects and reinventing something old as new that isn’t in the current market.

CH: How do you set yourself apart from other designers?

HH: I think my personality, persistence, determination, and gratitude set myself apart from other designers. I’ve come a long way from where I began my fashion journey, being from a foreign country. I strive to have my designs be unique and expressive in ways others can appreciate.

I believe our life experiences influence us more than we realize. It determines our expectations, our value, our relationships, our goals, and our priorities. I believe being a distinct clothing designer not only requires artistic ability, creativity, and technical skills to create garments, but it also takes integrity and morals to defend and support our community and the next generation for a better future.

To me, mutual respect is the art of giving and receiving. We can all build reciprocal relationships, share in responsibilities, and help each other with empathy. This will reduce conflict, stress, and destruction in our lives.

CH: Describe your design education journey.

HH: I came to Vancouver when I was 18, alone and unable to speak even basic English. I was a naïve young woman determined to be a fashion designer with plenty of courage at that time. I started my post-secondary education at Vancouver Community College's ESL centre as a beginning English student. At that time, my English vocabulary could be counted on 10 figures, and I needed my Chinese-English dictionary everywhere I went.

However, I met many friends who were international students like me, and we helped each other out and experienced Canadian culture together. It took me one-and-half years to complete my grade 12 English but I still couldn’t obtain a B grade in writing, which was required to get into the fashion-defree program at KPU.

So I enrolled in a two-year diploma program in fashion arts design at VCC. It was challenging for me to understand everything in class and express myself clearly in English. However, I worked hard and completed my diploma. After graduation, I worked in the fashion industry for over four years. Then in 2016, I decided to pursue my degree in fashion and technology at KPU.

Coming back to school as a mature industry student was a life-changing experience. However, I am glad to have the opportunity to upgrade my skills with the newest technologies, and expand my knowledge in technical outerwear. Most importantly, to fulfill my regret of not being able to complete a degree, which bothered me and my family for a long time, both consciously and unconsciously. To sum up on my education journey, I don’t let fear and minor obstacles stop me from doing the things I love.

Camille Huang is a final-year fashion design and technology student at KPU’s Wilson School of Design.