This designer's creations are the definition of wearable art – NiagaraFallsReview.ca

Carrie Yap doesn’t just make hats. Each intricate design is a culmination of haute couture techniques, meticulous handiwork and tireless research. And each design celebrates and engages with traditional Chinese and Asian fashion.

“I like that my work has depth rather than just being a piece,” writes Calgary-based Yap by email, just a week after giving birth to her son — or in her words, adding “another amazing identity” to her repertoire. “I am an artist, urban planner, community advocate, athlete, wife, sister, cousin, aunt and now mother.”

As an artist, working under the label Yap Sister, Yap says that she learns more about Chinese and Asian culture and history with every hat she makes. “I spend a lot of time researching, whether it’s through books, movies, web or speaking with people.”

Once she gets an initial idea for a hat and creates a sketch, Yap tests out construction methods. “The methods for traditional Chinese or Asian pieces (I defer to Asian because sometimes the piece cannot be limited to the Chinese culture) are rarely readily available or documented,” Yap explains. A lengthy trial-and-error process is often involved. And sometimes, the materials and methods are outdated, which means Yap must innovate new ways of creating.

“Throughout the entire process, I am documenting my findings so that I can replicate the foundation of each piece and find adjustments as needed.”

Next comes production, which is a labour of love. “Everything is done by hand including cutting, wiring, sewing and attachment of cultural touchstones like hand embroidery. I could rely on machinery, but when I am embroidering it by hand, I am walking in the same steps or stitches as the artisans before me,” says Yap, who also employs an all-woman team to create her pieces.

The latest collection, titled Auspicious Expressions, was inspired largely by books. “I was in New York visiting the ‘CAMP: Notes on Fashion’ exhibition, and I came across two books, ‘Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art’ and ‘Collector’s Guide to Chinese Dress Accessories.’” Surprised by the depth and symbolism of Chinese art, Yap wanted to recreate traditional pieces, but with an added modern twist. “I wanted not only to replicate but also communicate like the artisans before me,” she adds.

“The current Western fashion scene is saturated with fashion catered toward a Western taste and frame,” says Yap. “I certainly struggle to find clothes that fit my esthetics and certainly my body. In this time of social justice, it’s important to remember that there were many racialized communities that helped to establish the Western world and continue to do so.”

For Yap, reclaiming space in the fashion world is not all that different from reclaiming space in communities. She frequently uses her social media platform to highlight social justice causes, a step she says “is only natural.”

Yap’s upcoming collection will consist of more contemporary pieces. “I recognize that not everyone wants to wear a giant crown and wants something a bit more subtle,” she says. These pieces will be the crown jewels of an upcoming Signatures Collection made up of everyday pieces that are still inspired by traditional designs. Yap says the most common critique she gets is that there’s no hat-wearing culture in North America. The contemporary collection sets out to challenge that. “You can wear these beautiful pieces every day because their historical function was to be used in daily wear.”

Ultimately, Yap’s work aims to reclaim traditional craft techniques (some of which are on the verge of dying out, thanks in part to the rise of fast fashion) and further the scope of Chinese fashion and its movements, including Hanfu, the shift to revitalize cultural touchpoints from the pre-Qing dynasty era. “There is more to Chinese and Asian fashion than the cheongsam. Like fashion everywhere, it has evolved.”

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