In the second half of my chat with Vea Chen we expound further upon fashion and speak about Vea’s approach to her dream of founding a sustainable fashion brand and the concrete steps she has taken and is taking to make that dream a reality.
We also grapple with the meaning of fashion, today and throughout history, and the significance, on several levels, of what we choose to wear, what we wear, how we dress on a daily basis, and see and express ourselves
Vea and I also look at fashion through the lenses of contemporary art, social movements, pop culture, and subcultures. We also delve into the problematic ways in which influencers and social media dictate our fashion choices and what can be done to counter that.
Finally, we reflect upon what is important, not only to young people studying fashion today, but also to gen z more broadly, and Vea introduces a thought-provoking vision of the future of fashion.
Vea Chen Biography
Vea Chen was born in China and earned a degree in Mathematics and Economics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Subsequently, she spent five years working with US Multinational corporations. Her exposure to luxury perfumeries during her professional journey sparked a keen interest in fashion. While on vacation in Japan, the philosophy of respecting nature and craftsmanship deeply resonated with her, leading to the realization that her true passion lies in the creative industry and art. Motivated by this revelation, she made the decision to pursue studies in fashion at Polimoda in Italy with the goal of establishing a business centered around sustainable fashion with healing properties. She firmly believes that fashion plays a significant role in people’s lives, influencing emotions and adding vibrancy. In an era dominated by the starkness of black in street fashion and people’s attention are drawn to the online world, her aspiration is to add color, beauty, slow fashion, and human touch to people’s lives.