Ask Sophie Hong what’s going through her mind before her runway presentation for Fashion Week Asia, and she’ll pleasantly say, “I just work, you know?” It’s evident that the Taiwanese designer likely has a balanced view of the craft that she enjoys—to the point that it comes naturally to her—but we fear that the word “just” isn’t enough to describe what she’s actually done. She’s a pioneer, having devoted decades to studying silk until she developed her own signature version of it. And at Fashion Week Asia, everyone received the chance to see HONG Silk up close.
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What’s not to appreciate, really? Hong’s work with Xiangyunsha draws on a traditional process involving plant-based dyes, sunlight, and iron-rich mud, which can give the fabric a leather-like finish. Much like a scientist, she has experimented repeatedly, introducing variations in texture and structure—so much so that when you hear her name, her “just work” speaks for itself immediately.
But the funniest part of all this is that she remains endearingly relaxed about her accomplishments:
“Work is my life. It’s a solution for me. When you work, you see everything. When you live life and meet people, everything comes together inside you. And when I work, I feel complete.”
—SOPHIE HONG
One can imagine Hong has more pressing matters than contemplating her own genius, like checking on her cat, Bleu, or deciding what tasks need to be done tomorrow. Such is the life of a virtuoso of silk.
Photos courtesy of FASHION WEEK ASIA. Photographed by EXCEL PANLAQUE of KLIQ INC.
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