TATIANA LIM ABOUT HOW LAVEAU CREATES WHIMSICAL AND ETHEREAL PRINTS
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Founded in 2016 by Creative Director Tatiana Lim, Laveau is created with the hope of helping people appreciate beauty within imperfection. Drawing from childhood imaginations and experiences, Lim creates drawings of “monsters”, which are her nightmare in character form, to represent one’s fears, pains, anger, and other emotions. From these monsters, Lim extract pieces from the drawings and recreates it into the adventurous, whimsical, and ethereal prints featured in Laveau’s designs to commemorate and appreciate the hurdles one has to go through in life. Inspired by the childhood dreams and imaginations of Lim, the prints are symbolic of the boundless imagination of childhood that our Creative Director wants for those who wear Summerville Laveau to remember.
With a lifelong passion for fashion and the arts, Lim enrolled in Parsons School of Designwhere she studied to become a designer. As a true citizen of the world. Lim splits her time between United States, Asia, and Europe. This dichotomy of culture inspires the essence of the Laveau brand.
Gorinchem INTERVIEW WITH TATIANA LIM
Tell us about yourself as creative, including what art means for you as a designer.
Art is my purpose and lifeline. Art was the category I chose when I was 6 to pursue as a career. Until I reached 14, I tried all sorts of arts like product design, dance, videography, painting, and other types of art. I believe constantly trying and discovering new things brings life and depth to my designs. Rules can not define art; there is no right or wrong, so it’s special and irreplaceable.
Tell us about your design style. What makes your collections unique in the industry?
I like to think I’m an instinctual designer. I tend to treat my designs like a melting pot of experiences and memories. Animations, cartoons, art, or nature inspire and influence my art style and color choices. My prints start as monsters that are then deconstructed and formed into Laveau’s prints, allowing people to wear their scars proudly and still feel beautiful.
I never really designed to be unique from other designers. Instead, I design to convey a message or push the limits of people’s comfort zone and welcome vulnerability, whether in design, color, or print. I truly believe the story is more important than competing with others since I think that all types and styles of design have their own kind of beauty.
What kind of person wears your creations?
Someone who’s confidently lost, willing to embrace their vulnerability, and knowing there is no right or wrong way to live life. Perfection does not exist; people appreciate the wear and tear of vintage or antique items, but why not apply the same thought to humans? Like antique items, our imperfections make us unique and irreplaceable.
I hope people who wear Laveau are someone who is ready for a change. As a child looking at the world full of curiosity, I felt the colors I saw were much more vivid and colorful, so I want the wearer to remember the excitement for the future we all had and might’ve forgotten as we aged. Don’t forget that spark and vibrancy.
As a designer, where do you draw your inspiration from?
Honestly, I draw inspiration from all walks of life from books, animations, manga, cookbooks, documentaries, art, music, traveling, and even nature.
What are your thoughts about the design industry regarding slow-fashion and long-lasting pieces?
I tend to prefer quality over quantity, but I understand that not everyone has the luxury to afford certain pieces and achieve the look they want. Since collecting pieces over time is more economical than purchasing them all at once. Slow fashion is one of the most sustainable solutions for the fashion industry, producing less but maintaining the garments’ quality. But this comes at a bigger price tag, and it is honestly on society to decide what they will choose to spend on. But like I mentioned, not everyone is financially equipped to spend so much on one piece of garment, so it will be an uphill battle.
What advice would you give to someone interested in getting into the fashion designing business?
First question yourself, why? Why fashion design? And if you feel like you’ve convinced yourself and can persevere and maintain drive throughout your career, jump in. Your career is like a marriage; make sure you understand the work and responsibility of commitment. Just keep in mind that no matter what career you join, there is no easy job; all types of work are hard work.