In Conversation x
Ray Chu
Interviewed and written by:
Rebecca Jones
@rebeccajones159
Images by: Tasha Lee
@tashalee_photography
The zesty cocktail of milky balloons morphing into algal blooms, girdled by gymnasium themed walls, and a thrill of anticipation- I was in awe of it all. In itchy business attire and an overflowing tote bag filled with stained paper, broken pens, and a hint of leaked sun screen - it was an understatement to say I felt out of place. Discombobulated by the fear of imposter syndrome in such a vibrant setting, the feeling slowly vanished by a warm glow of charming smiles and eager welcomes as the ‘RAY CHU’ team greeted me.
Stumbling through the crowd of flamboyantly dressed fashion lovers, I had the opportunity to discuss everything ‘RAY CHU’ with the designer, Ray Chu, himself. The brand ‘RAY CHU’ resonates with diversity, inclusivity, freedom, and a self-loving community, while also placing sustainable positive thinking at the core of its ethos. A signature look of meticulous and precise tailoring encapsulates subtle hints of gender fluidity. Chu creates a safe space for fashion lovers - where there is trust and love, while having an opportunity to feel powerful within their own skin.
Rebecca Jones: Tell us a bit about your new spring/summer collection - what were some of the ideas behind it? Any important themes? And what inspired you.
Ray Chu: The whole inspiration for this show was from a beach that I visited with my partner on holiday. This is how it all started. While I was doing research about the ocean, I noticed a lot of brands have already explored sea-themed concepts- an example being the Octopus in a Prada collection. Others have looked at jellyfish, clownfish, and so on so there was already a stereotype of blending the sea and fashion. So I thought, what else is in the sea and that I can do? At the same time I also thought how could this relate to Ray Chu? Then I thought, there is the animal ‘Manta ray’- and that’s how I got it.
The Manta ray typically represents courage and boldness, and I think that it is quite representative to my brand. I wanted to use this animal as the signature symbol for this show. Included in all of this, I wanted to tie in sustainable fashion more tightly. When you look through the collection, if you see a 3D printed object, it is made out of primarily organic material and natural fibres. What is important in this collection, is that we are using recyclable materials and attempting to make the collection have a positive sustainable thinking.
Rebecca Jones: In your work, you seem to have a continous theme of self-love, and being yourself whilst being expressive. Do you think it is important that the fashion community promotes self-love?
Ray Chu: I think within this industry, of course everyone loves to express themselves and all aspects of their character. Fashion can be cold in a way, so I hope that when we are able to show who we are and support each other more in our community, that brings more to what fashion can be.
Rebecca Jones: Can you tell me a bit about the tailoring designs and choices in your work?
Ray Chu: The tailoring and designs choices were strongly inspired by the waves of the ocean through the stripes in certain clothing. So, when you look through the collection, I have made a lot of blazers and with these, I had made them into a slightly organic shape that are usually paired with a halter neck. Throughout the collection, I didn’t want it to be obvious that the collection was about the ocean and had a theme of the sea. I thought it would be too direct, so I did it in a much more subtle way. Like I said, using these recycled materials on a big scale was the main source of inspiration for this collection, along with the range of colours.
Rebecca Jones: What are some of your future aspirations for the journey of your fashion brand?
Ray Chu: I still want it to evolve around loving yourself, expressing yourself, and being as sustainable as possible. I am looking into making this brand, in the future, 100% sustainable. As of right now, it is more 75%, as some fabric it is really difficult to make a 100% sustainable but we are still working really hard to make it as sustainable as possible. I also want for my future collection to move away from the party/going out theme it has had in the past. I want to look at collections that have a more sophisticated take on fashion and to reach an alternative demographic than it has before.”
Special Thank you to the Ray Chu Team & everyone at Dyelog PR.