Taiwanese Fashion Company in Los Angeles

Since 2013, Taiwan'south NE. SENSE accept built up a reputation for being purveyors of innovative and sophisticated fashion, stocking the likes of Martine Rose, GMBH and Wales Bonner (as well equally their in-house label, Necessity Sense) in their primal Taipei concept store. The three brothers responsible for it – Richard, Michael and Steve Hsieh – have merely launched a new and heady brand, NAMESAKE or 以父之名, which translates to "In the Name of the Father".

The venture is their fashion of opening a dialogue between generations. The brothers grew up in true 3rd-Culture Kids mode, hopping betwixt Taiwan, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Seattle. Based on their experiences living between these dissimilar cities, the trio aim to channel their love of basketball, mode and their civilization into a format that can be shared and loved.

When information technology comes to the pattern and craftsmanship of NAMESAKE, the brothers' potent will was heavily influenced by their father, who raised them on visits to fashion stores, provided them with fine art and fashion books, and basically passed down a life-long passion that they embrace fully.

The Hsieh brothers saturday down with i-D to discuss their journey, the importance of upcycling and their new collection, Family unit MATTERS.

NAMESAKE, FAMILY MATTERS, Taiwanese Fashion, Taipei, third culture kids, NE. SENSE

There's a strong sense of family value in the make. Was that always important?

Family MATTERS is a cadre chemical element of the make and of united states three brothers as human beings. Nosotros came from a traditional yet modernistic family. Since we were born, we take been taught family unit comes first. Ever since we have retentiveness, we have e'er been together. NAMESAKE is a new merge of what nosotros loved as teenagers, basketball, and our male parent's daily piece of work in agronomics and fishery. NAMESAKE, in another style, is a medium we used to create more memories between our family.

Working as brothers, what is the professional relationship similar?

Neverending debates. Since we three came from the same manufacturing plant aka my parents we take similar values, only we 3 accept very dissimilar personalities so debating at work is inevitable. If at that place is something nosotros take different opinions on, we volition keep debating until we find a middleground and come to agreements. We all piece of work together, play together, and nevertheless go back nether the same roof and dinner table every day. The brand is embedded in us. It'due south a 24/vii ongoing conversation for us.

In terms of stories, we really enjoy our off-duty fourth dimension and nosotros spend a long fourth dimension exploring the buzzy nightlife. And so, if i of us gets hammered the day before, we always cover each other the next 24-hour interval at work and won't exist mad at each other – a little privilege of working with brothers!

Why is craftsmanship so important to NAMESAKE?

Craftsmanship is super of import to united states of america because of our male parent. Our male parent inspired the states to devote our life to fashion and art. He is super detail-oriented and cares virtually things that normal people wouldn't. He has stimulated united states to fix our ain standard of craftsmanship. Nosotros desire our craftsmanship to exist deep with stories and to correspond our life journey. We want to bring out the agronomics and industrial feel that nosotros grew upward in through hand-crafted executions.

We take explored traditional techniques widely in areas of dyeing, weaving, and embroidery. For dyeing, we used mud dye, which is an old and natural dyeing process that is done in rivers with strong manpower, but creates less h2o pollution then traditional dye. For suiting, we worked with a 100-year-quondam Japanese weaving factory that uses special machines by Schönherr Stäubl. This car is i/ten of the speed of today's weaving machines, but its attention to detail is equivalent to manus-weaving. For knitwear, recycled Japanese postman numberless are given new life. They are deconstructed and recreated as paper yarn taping used on all hems. For our seasonal fabrication, we specialised in something that turns unwanted t-shirts into thick threads, and re-weaves information technology together to form a new textured fabrication. These are but a few examples of our manner to set up our own standard of craftsmanship. This is our way of translating our dad's belief into a new class.

What was it like growing up as 3rd Culture Kids?

Growing up, we moved from Kaohsiung to Tokyo, and then to Seattle and Los Angeles. When we encounter a new city, information technology'south always a new procedure of understanding, adapting, and accepting. The procedure is tough, just we find joy in it. For us, I think we oft bargain with it as an observer start, to absorb the new civilisation shock, then act consciously to widen our perspectives. I think this is our responsibility as a fellow member of the third culture generation. Nosotros, as Asians in history, often accept the stigma of hiding in the shadows when it comes to racial rights on the global scale. With this new era, I don't think we're fighting for our rights, but letting our voices have weight in different societies. In order to achieve this, the just road is to continue on grinding and to prove people that we can't be underestimated when information technology comes to talent, creativity and strength.

Beingness a Tertiary Civilisation Kid commonage, what do you feel are the social responsibilities of your generation?

Nosotros tin really connect with this. Being a member of this community, I call up it's our responsibility to go along our past generation'southward traditions, but to have those rules into a new destiny. Nosotros were taught differently from our parents, just their mindsets and experiences are reminders for us, while nosotros bear our dreams. Nosotros were taught to exist gratis-minded and squad-oriented. They were taught with strong restrictions on personal success. I recollect the biggest social responsibilities for united states of america is to create a sustainable and salubrious environment that promotes a potent sense of community. We really believe that the just way to make changes in future is "strength in numbers".

From our personal experiences, we e'er thought we were outsiders – from how we grew upwards to the current style manufacture we are in. Taipei is not known as a fashion capital and we three brothers did not go to design schools, but we always had this dream of beingness creators. Nosotros constantly aim to improve ourselves and uplift the culture we believe in. Yous don't necessarily need to study something to be what yous want. When you have passion, perseverance and the correct mindset, you can piece of work towards the things you want.

Is it difficult to go recognised by the luxury civilisation based market?

I call up it'southward hard to get recognised by the luxury culture based marketplace considering I think luxury civilisation includes a strong history and top craftsmanship. For united states of america, as a new brand, we can't grab up with the history, but nosotros will uphold the responsibility for quality. Additionally, nosotros aim to use our unique view to slowly create our own history: we believe that once you take something to say, no matter the result, you volition continue striving to speak information technology out loud. Result is not as important every bit the process, if y'all accept confidence in what yous believe in.

Why upcycle and not recycle?

For the states, upcycling is a style of living. Information technology is embedded in u.s. from concept right through to fabrication and execution. The collection'south concepts are upcycled from our family unit memories and our last generation's values. For fabrication, we focus more on means to alternate what's already bachelor or considered waste, and introduce it in a crafty innovative manner with a less processed procedure. Nosotros think the main departure between upcycling and recycling is that recycling requires the idea of destruction to extract wanted components, which in a way, is not yet to be fully environmental-friendly. As a brand, we continue preaching the idea of "re-employ, re-purpose, re-start." For us, this is our make'due south ethos, simply not something nosotros will apply as a marketing scheme, since we believe that this is our responsibleness every bit a brand and creator to set a new standard for the next generation.

How has the pandemic changed your work process?

Luckily, Taiwan has been very good at restricting the affect of the pandemic, so our mean solar day to day life changes are less severe than other cities and countries. However, fashion was basically on break for everyone. This meant nosotros had a lot more than time for discussions and strategising towards SS21.We spent a long time developing a unique online platform with our childhood friend, Jen (founder of View Source) exclusively for buyers and press. Since adroitness is so crucial for our brand, we actually wanted to translate that into a special online experience. Through special coding, displaying of content and hidden functions, nosotros wanted buyers to feel certain warmth that is often lost in digital experiences. The feedback of the platform has been amazing.

What was the nigh impactful fashion item that made an impression on y'all when you guys were little?

Growing up equally basketball kids, we were heavily influenced past Adidas Kobe ii. That was our first basketball game shoe always, released in 2001. It was the heaviest and well-nigh uncomfortable pair nosotros've put on, only until today, we notwithstanding think that pair is the most futuristic basketball game shoes ever.

In terms of fashion context, at that place is a special experience that nosotros've ever remembered. Back in 2012, when nosotros were in high school and were nevertheless in love with Japanese streetwear, our dad took us to Dover Street Market place Ginza the day it opened. The whole shop interior inverse our perspectives toward fashion and design. It altered our idea towards clothing'south limits. Additionally, that day, our dad introduced us to a brand called Gosha Rubchinskiy. He told united states that "you need to know the brand now. Information technology will be large very soon". We all know what happened a few years afterwards. At that moment, u.s. brothers all understood that our dad had the vision and nosotros still have a lot to learn from him. Very luckily, we will be working with DSM from SS21. This is a dream come true for us. We are actually still in major stupor.