Melbourne fashion graduate Heather Lee is using design to connect with her East Asian heritage
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAIN POTTIER
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“My designs move away from everyday wear and work in the realm of art and fashion.”
Sliced from silicone and woven from twine and wool, Heather Lee’s made-to-order garments are more high art than they are clothing. Growing up in her mum’s fabric store, Heather found an interest in experimenting with textures, materials and fabric structure.
“I initially had aspirations to take on a more artistic route, practising abstract painting as my core medium as well as basket weaving,” Heather explains. “However, my attention started moving more towards sculptural garments which led me to merge the two contexts together.”
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Having recently graduated from RMIT, her final collection was an exploration of her East Asian heritage, contrasted by her upbringing in a Western context. Looking to the future, Heather says she’s “curious to reconnect and discover more” about her heritage while engaging “Eastern art and design to keep cultural practices alive and relevant”.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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Growing up in my mum’s fabric store has inevitably led me to appreciate art and dress… [this] evolved into a greater interest in experimenting with different types of textures and materials.
Being surrounded by the slow process of custom-made garments gave me an insight into how fabrics evolved into the finished product… I think seeing styles that were not designed for the everyday was also really valuable, and has been an incentive for me to be bolder and more daring with my own creations.
I initially had aspirations to take on a more artistic route, practising abstract painting as my core medium as well as basket weaving. However, my attention started moving more towards sculptural garments which led me to merge the two contexts together. I applied what I knew from all different mediums and still try to carry these elements in my designs now.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
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… It’s all a work in progress, which has been put on pause as I’m still figuring out my intentions with what direction I want to take. I struggle to pre-plan my designs and rather work intuitively, which comes with its own challenges but has also resulted in some of my proudest pieces.
I find it puts less pressure on the outcome of what I’m making and allows the material to unfold itself. My work is all handcrafted, which follows a very time-consuming method… I find the repetitive nature of basket weaving very therapeutic, and I gravitate more towards handcrafted techniques because I feel more in control of the material.
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What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved?
My East Asian heritage has become increasingly apparent throughout the conceptual development behind my work, as I am gradually coming to terms with navigating personal displacement within a Western context/upbringing. It has given me the incentive to bring light to cultural stigmas that have been caught in the challenges and interconnectedness of the opposing worlds.
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In my most recent collection, my aim is to address the disparities of Asian fetishisation and glorification of the ‘exotic’ and ‘oriental’ stereotypes that have been projected onto primarily East and Southeast Asian women through the origins of Western imperialism.
… The collection speaks through its material language, referencing historical, restrictive garments worn to emulate sex appeal and alluring eroticism, in both Eastern and Western contexts. Reference to Western punk culture is reflected through the silicone-sliced undergarment sets, overlaid with basket-woven constructions… rebelling against traditional idealisations of femininity.
In continuation, I am curious to reconnect and discover more about my heritage, beyond what I have grown up with and engage with Eastern art and design to keep cultural practices alive and relevant.
How would you describe your work to someone who’s never seen it before?
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I would say that each of my pieces has bodily and abstract characteristics that follow both fluid and sculptural compositions. My designs move away from everyday wear and work in the realm of art and fashion, with [the] aim to revitalise dying handcrafted techniques.
What are you most proud of in your work on your label?
I’m most proud of how my work has evolved from little baskets [and] bowls into full-scale wearables. I didn’t expect basket weaving to carry on this far into my practice and it’s comforting to feel connected to a medium that remains consistent.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
I feel that I’ve gradually come to terms with the fact that my creative drive doesn’t always have to be constant. There are periods where I can’t get away from what I’m working on and other times where I don’t even want to look at it. It’s a constant reminder to be patient with yourself and… to prioritise your creative limit.
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I think also being prepared that design most likely will not follow a linear path, and will take on unexpected routes… whether you like it or not. There is a lot of emotional investment that goes behind the work which can taint the experience, but it’s all a learning curve.
Who do you think is most exciting in Australian/New Zealand fashion right now?
Child of Society, Chloe Newberry and Kritikon Qatur Khamsawat. I love how each of them has their own specialised talents that are significant to them and remain true throughout their practice.
What about the Australian/New Zealand fashion industry needs to change?
There’s no denying that the fashion industry needs to change, though I guess what frustrates me most is that clothing is seen as disposable and the transient nature of trends… [means the] constant demand to make more and more, faster.
It eliminates the value of garments and craftsmanship that goes into making the piece, meaning that a lot of handcrafted techniques have become lost within mass production.
Dream Australian/New Zealand collaborators?
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I would love to collaborate with Jennifer Irwin, costume designer of Bangarra Dance Theatre – I am in awe of her work and love the way her costumes are showcased through performance and dance.
I am drawn to elevating my work in a performative space, enmeshing bodily movement and interactive experience. Events such as Soft Centre, Dark Mofo and Rising that celebrate performance and artistic individuality would be a dream to collaborate with.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
The pieces are not available for purchase, however, [they] can be hired out for photo and video shoots and performances. I am open to custom commissions that are made to order and specific to whoever is of interest, as the nature of basket weaving does not follow a strict pattern that can be easily replicated. Since the pieces are so time-consuming, I am considering making accessories so my designs can be more integrated into everyday wearables.
For more of Heather’s work, head here.
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