We had the pleasure to ask a few questions to the fashion designer Shih-Shun Huang, the creator of #DAMUR. Since 2020, Huang’s Berlin-based high-end streetwear brand is also focused on upcycling fashion. The essence of #DAMUR is ‘naughty but elegant,’ expressed by an unapologetic Berliner attitude mixed with nuances from the designer’s Far East heritage. Each collection is designed to be thought-provoking, bold, and provocative. #DAMUR is more than just a fashion label, it also aims to involve the public in their design and business process.
我们有幸向时装设计师放蕩的優雅问了几个问题，#DAMUR是一个位于柏林的高端街头服饰品牌的创造者。自2020年以来，也致力于升级改造的时尚。#DAMUR的本质是 “调皮但优雅”，这是由一种不加掩饰的柏林人的态度与设计师的远东背景的结合。每个系列的设计都是发人深省、大胆和挑衅的。#DAMUR不仅仅是一个时尚品牌，#DAMUR的目标是让公众参与设计和商业过程。
Dear #DAMUR .. As we know you come from Taiwan originally. When did you come to Berlin and what was your motivation? Why not, for example, Paris, London, or New York, places which are known most prominently for their fashion scene?
In the fall of 2011, after an in-depth discussion with my professors at school about my future, we both agreed that I was already a mature designer, so I didn’t need to stay in school to study, but should rather go out and explore. After 4 years of romantic baptism in the French-speaking part of Belgium, I understood that even though French is very pleasant to the ears, it is unbearable to always have an exceptional style. So even though I was encouraged and advised to go to Paris, I still insisted on not going there.
New York is great, I love it, and it’s probably the second city in the world besides Berlin that I want to live in.
But the reality of life is that visas are hard, especially to work in the U.S., and the average monthly salary of a fashion design assistant is an impossible combination, so I gave up on the idea of moving to New York many years ago, unless, perhaps I get married to an American someday?
In the fall of 2011, I had never been to Germany, and because I didn’t know anything, I bought a one-week round-trip ticket from Easyjet to Berlin and tried to live there with the mindset that everything was new and interesting. After a week, I didn’t get bored, and during the week I dropped a few resumes, interviewed with a few companies, and finally got my first job in Germany. I think my life story is just like the #DAMUR design, there are always a lot of interesting surprises.
我们知道你最初来自台湾。你来柏林的动机是什么？什么时候来的？为什么不以时尚界闻名的巴黎/伦敦或纽约呢？
很多人會想搬來柏林，可能是因為愛上了這一個容易上癮的城市，不管是愛情還是派對還是生活風格。2011年的秋天，在和學校的教授深入討論個人的未來發展後，我們都同意其實我早就已經一個成熟的設計師了，所以不太需要繼續留在學校學習，應該去外面闖一闖。但再經過4年的比利時法語區浪漫洗禮的我，我深深的明白縱使法文再怎麼的悅耳，但永遠都有例外的風格是一件讓我無法忍受事情。所以就算在眾人鼓勵與建議去巴黎的情況下，我還是打死堅持不去巴黎。
紐約很好，我很喜歡，它可能是世界上除了柏林以外第二個讓我想要居住的城市。但人生的現實問題就是簽證很難，尤其是美國工作簽證再加上服裝設計助理的平均月薪根本就是不可能的任務組合，所以早在很多人以前我就已經放棄有機會搬去紐約居住的想法，除非哪天跟美國人閃婚？
在2011年的秋天，那時候的我還沒有去德國，對於德國是相當的陌生，但也是因為什麼都不知道，所以就買了張Easyjet的一週來回機票踏上柏林這個城市，用什麼都新鮮什麼都有趣的心態去嘗試著生活在柏林。一週過去了，我沒有討厭，也在這一週我丟了幾個履歷，面試了幾間公司，最後也獲得了我在德國的第一份工作。我想我的人生故事就如同#DAMUR 設計一樣，總有著許多讓人玩味的驚喜。
Do you notice the change in the city, since you have been here for so many years? If you would compare the fashion scene in Taiwan & in Berlin, what would be similar and what would be totally different?
I will always remember that at the end of October 2011, I officially moved to Berlin from Brussels, and during the first week I went to Easy Credit in Alexanderplatz to apply for a Schufa – a necessary document for living in Germany – in order to prepare the documents for renting an apartment. I went up to the counter and told the clerk that I needed to apply for the Schufa, but I didn’t speak German, I could speak English or French, and asked him to find an English-speaking clerk to contact me. As soon as she sat down, she started bombarding me with German. I was dumbfounded and immediately asked her to stop, telling her I didn’t understand. She was so angry that she was close to slapping the table and told me, “Wir sind in Deutschland, Wir müssen Deutsch sprechen!” I really felt so innocent at that time.
Now in Berlin 2022, you can find many trendy cafes where you can only order coffee in English because the waiters don’t speak German, so maybe that’s the biggest change in the city.
In addition, I used to love the trendy Mitte district of Berlin, but now the Mitte district is nothing but business, mediocrity and tourists, and I can’t see the old Berlin’s independent designer stores in full bloom.
Berlin and Taipei, I don’t feel any similarity because they are one east and one west, a concept that is not similar to each other. Because they are so different, I can always find new ideas and perspectives in these two cities.
这么多年来，你看到这座城市的变化了吗？如果你比较一下台湾和柏林的时尚场景，哪些地方相似，哪些地方完全不同?
我永遠記得在2011年的10月底，我從布魯塞爾正式的搬來柏林，第一週為了準備承租公寓等相關文件，我去了在Alexanderplatz的 Easy Credit申請在德國生活的必備文件Schufa。那是我第一週生活在柏林，英文還附有著濃濃的法語腔。我走去櫃檯跟服務人員說我需要申請Schufa，但是我不會講德文，我可以講英文或是法文，請他找一個會講英文的服務人員與我接洽。結果她自己就帶著我走去她的辦公桌請我坐下，一坐下批哩啪啦的開始用德文轟炸我，我瞬間都傻了，馬上叫她停，跟她說我聽不懂。她很生氣的快接近拍桌的氣勢告訴我，Wir sind in Deutschland, Wir müssen Deutsch sprechen. 我那時候真的覺得自己很無辜。
現在的2022的柏林，在很多時髦的咖啡廳，點咖啡只能用英文，因為服務生不會講德文，也許這就是這個城市最大的變化。因為這在2012那時候幾乎是不可能會發生的事情。此外我以前很喜歡時髦又柏林的Mitte區，但現在的Mitte區除了商業、平庸與觀光客之外，已經看不到過去柏林獨立設計師小店林立的盛況了，這應該就是時代的眼淚吧。
柏林和臺北，我沒有感覺相似的地方，因為就是一個東一個西，風馬牛不相及的概念。也就是因為太不同了，所以我永遠可以在這二個城市中找到新的想法與觀點。
You worked with many brands like JAMEI CHEN, Tim Hamilton, McQ Alexander McQueen, Tim Van Steenbergen, Dawid Tomaszewski, Marcell von Berlin as we can read from your website. How do you remember those times? Who inspired you the most? What did you learn from that time and brought to your brand #DAMUR?
The time as an intern was always long.
At that time, I didn’t know much about anything. I wasn’t sure whether to design or to work or to create personal value. Therefore, it did take me some time to find my value and position in the workplace from failing a lot.
Especially I miss the season at Alexander McQueen, when he had just passed away and the office was always filled with the smell of regret and remembrance. In that time, I was recruited by the menswear designer at that time, but we both had different styles and ideas, so after some friction, I was put in the cold. I was really forced to quit that week, and I also argued with the pattern maker. She said she thought I was very proud and thought I was very good. She said I shouldn’t be able to leave work on time and should be sitting somewhere to see if anyone else needed help.
I was actually surprised because my fantasy Alexander McQueen company is so big, but the internal management and system planning is so fragmented and illogical, for example, we spend a lot of time looking for things.
The good thing is that just when I was about to lose it, the womenswear designer took me in to develop the details for him, and I did a great job. Then the accessories designer also took me to do the design development and sampling, and I also did a good job.
In this way, I’ve fought hard from the cold palace back to the position they want. Because of the gap between fantasy and reality and all kinds of unbelievable stories, as long as every job and every internship I don’t like, I tell myself that these problems must not appear in my company, and this is where I learned the most valuable lesson – learning from other people’s failures and mistakes and reinventing them. Who, if anyone, has inspired me the most? I would probably say Alexander McQueen’s accessories designer at the time, because she asked me one day when I was coming to work and it gave me a lot of confidence.
您曾与 JAMEI CHEN、Tim Hamilton、McQ Alexander McQueen、Tim Van Steenbergen、Dawid Tomaszewski、Marcell von Berlin 等许多品牌合作过，就像我们可以从您的网站上看到的那样……您如何记住那些时光？谁对你的启发最大？那段时间你学到了什么？
實習生的時光總是漫長的，那時候矇矇懂懂，什麼事情都是一知半解，也不太確定是去設計還是去工作還是去創造個人價值，學校沒有教啊！所以的確是花了一些時間才從失敗的經驗中找到自己在職場的價值與定位。我特別懷念在McQ Alexander McQueen的那一季的時光，那時候他剛過世，辦公室總是彌漫著遺憾的味道與念想。那時候招我進去的是男裝設計師，但可能我們二個做事風格與想法不同，所以再發生一些摩擦之後，我就被打入冷宮了。那一週真的是逼得我想要辭職，還順便跟打版師爭吵。她說她覺得我很驕傲覺得自己很厲害，她說我應該不能夠準時下班，應該要坐在哪裡看有沒有其他人需要幫忙。其實我很訝異，因為我幻想中的Alexander McQueen公司是如此的大，但是內部管理還有制度規劃是如此的零散與沒有邏輯，比方說我們時長花很多時間在找東西。好在就當我快撐不下去的時候，女裝設計師把我抓去替他開發細節，我做得很好。然後配件設計師也把我抓去做設計開發與打樣，我也做得很好。就這樣的，我就從冷宮硬生生的戰回了自己想要的位子。也因為幻想與現實的差距還有各種不可思議的故事，所以只要每一個工作每一個實習我不喜歡的地方，我都告訴我自己這些問題都絕對不可以出現在我的公司，這就是我學到最有價值的地方 – 從別人的失敗與錯誤中學習與再創造。如果說誰對我的啟發最大？我可能會說是McQ Alexander McQueen當時的配件設計師，因為她有一天問我什麼時候要來公司上班，給了我滿滿的自信。
The “#” stands for expression and you touch on a lot of important problems of current times. We love your fearless attitude and readiness for being yourself and not caring about the outside world’s judgement. You told to MessMag about your series #YouAreNotBlackEnough about a situation, for example, when “a white woman is judging an American-Latino woman by saying “you are not black enough to present for a law firm which is run by black people.” You said “ I think this is very ridiculous because firstly, there should not be prejudices just because of someone’s background; secondly, we are always being told you are not smart/pretty/thin…enough in our society. I mean, to what sense others have the right to tell if one is enough or not? “. Have you ever tried to address the issue prompting the “Stop Asian Hate” movement arising from covid times, when there was a huge problem in Asian communities around the world? Would you do that? If not, could you reveal what would be the next message during your collection series?
The “YourAreNotBlackEnough” thing actually comes from our own inner lack of confidence. #YourAreNotBlackEnough is a collection that uses the simplest way of fashion design to satirise or expose our blind spots in life. The whole series is actually 18 looks divided into a black-and-white and a colour version. These 18 looks are exactly the same design, only the fabric and colour change, but can our eyes tell the difference? Even if the brain has a rational understanding of the same, our emotional side always has personal preferences or prejudices. But since when do people have to live like a saint?
Personally, I have always had a different perspective on social movements like Stop Asian Hate or Black Lives Matter. It started with the 003 #IAMSLUT series.
Since I was a kid, I’ve been able to get along with girls easily, and my female friendships are definitely larger than my male friendships, so I can probably say that I understand women relatively well. But what I don’t understand is that when I hear women complaining about gender inequality, many of their standards and footholds are from the male perspective.
To be more precise, in 2022, who would think that a modern woman needs to conform to the paradigm of the three virtues?
No sex before marriage? Don’t you want to try it out before you decide whether to get married? Don’t you want to try it out and be a ‘bitch’? Who hasn’t used trial products in our daily lives, who hasn’t eaten trial food, who hasn’t gone to a gym to experience a class, we are all bitches again. And furthermore, who deserves to die for being a bitch? What’s the crime of being a bitch?
What I want to say is that the world is so amazing, society is so unjust, you and I are never on the same plane at the starting point of our lives. But you can choose to participate in different races and practice with different people, we always have the opportunity to make different choices, but the question is whether you dare to make a different choice and speak out differently? My thought is that discrimination is a human genetic defect that will never go away, but only when we face up to the fact that we are not perfect, that everyone has prejudice and discrimination, then many problems can be thought of from a different angle and orientation. Call the aliens, take us off this planet. (：)
#The DAMUR AW22 series will also step into the issue of digital technology and virtual life: what is real and what is virtual? We already have different views and insights after two years of the new Corona virus. But the uncertainty of the process is the most beautiful scenery.
“#”代表表达，你触及了当今时代的许多重要问题。我们喜欢你无所畏惧的态度和做好自己的准备，不关心外界的判断。就像你告诉 MessMag 关于你的系列#YouAreNotBlackEnough 的情况一样，当“一名白人女性将一名美国拉丁裔女性判断为“你不够黑，无法为一家由黑人经营的律师事务所提供服务”时。你说：“我认为这很荒谬，因为首先，不应该因为某人的背景而存在偏见；其次，我们总是被告知你在我们的社会中不够聪明/漂亮/瘦弱……。我的意思是，在什么意义上，其他人有权判断一个人是否足够？ “。你有没有尝试过干预“停止亚洲仇恨”的话题，而在新冠时期，世界各地的亚洲社区都出现了巨大的问题？你会那样做吗？如果没有，您能否透露您的系列系列中的下一条信息是什么？
到底 “夠不夠“ 這件事情，其實根本都是來自於自己的內心不自信。#YourAreNotBlackEnough的系列其實就是用最簡單的服裝設計方式去諷刺或是暴露我們在生活中的盲點。整個系列其實就是18個Looks分成黑白與彩色版，18個Looks的版型設計是完全一模一樣，只有布料與顏色的置換重組，但你我們雙眼可以分辨的出來嗎？就算腦子是理智的理解相同，但感性的那一面又如何能做到沒有個人喜好或是偏見呢？但又是從什麼時候開始，人一個個都要活得像個聖人才行呢？
就個人來說，我其實對於 Stop Asian Hate 或是Black Live Matter 這類型的社會運動一直有一個不太一樣的見解。這可以從003 #IAMSLUT系列開始說起。我從小就很容易跟女生打成一片，女性友人的佔比數絕對是大於男性友人，所以我也許可以說我對於女性是相對了解的。但我一直不太能理解的是常常可以聽到女性友人在抱怨性別不平等之事時，很多的標準與立足點都是站在男性的角度，關於這一件事情，我一直很想去挑戰。更精準的說，在2022的今天，現在那一個女生會覺得當一個現代摩登的女性需要符合三從四德的典範？婚前不能性行為？在確定要不要結婚以前，難道不想先試用看看嗎？難道想要試用就是一個婊子嗎？那在日常生活中的我們，誰沒有用過試用品，誰又沒吃過試吃品，誰沒去過健身房的體驗課程，難道我們又都是婊子。又再者，難道是個婊子就該死？婊子何罪之有？
我想說的是，世界就是這麼神奇，社會就是這麼不公不義，你我人生起跑點，本來就從來都不在一個平面上。但你可以選擇參加不同的競賽與不同人一起練習，我們永遠都有做出不一樣選擇的機會，但問題是你敢不敢做出不一樣的選擇，說出不一樣的聲音？我的想法是歧視這個思想是永遠都不會消失的人類基因缺陷，但是只有當我們正視我們不是完美的時候，人人都有偏見與歧視的那個時候，很多問題才能用另外一個角度與面向去思考。呼叫外星人，快帶我們離開這個星球吧。 ：）
#DAMUR AW22系列也將會更用力地踏進數位科技與虛擬生活的議題，何謂真實何謂虛擬，在歷經新冠病毒二年後的我們已經有了不一樣的看法與見解，這是讓我永遠都對於設計感到充滿興奮與熱情的地方，因為我認為設計永遠都是跟時代一起前進的，在前進的過程中會有很多質疑與問號，但這些不確定的過程就是最美的風景。
If you would present a fashion show anywhere in the world, which place would you choose? Where would it be if you wanted to give the biggest audience for your messages and visibility?
If I could, I’d like to do a show in Sri Lanka. After all, not to ask the models to walk on the beach, but to ask famous surfers from all over the world to wear our latest collection and present our latest designs on the tip of the green waves. I don’t like shows that are made with money, but I like shows that are difficult to execute, because that’s the attitude of #DAMUR, no matter how difficult it is, we can always ride the wave and continue to play.
如果你要在世界任何地方举办一场时装秀，你会选择哪个地方？？它会在哪里…..对您的信息和知名度产生最大的影响？
如果可以，我想要在斯里蘭卡(Sri Lanka)的海上辦秀，當然不是叫Models走在海灘上漫步走秀，而是找世界各地知名的衝浪選手穿上我們的最新系列，在浪花(green waves)尖上呈現最我們的最新設計，這大概就是所謂的浪花一現吧？
我不喜歡用錢砸出來的秀，我喜歡有執行難度的秀，因為這就是#DAMUR的態度，不管有多難，我們總是可以乘風破浪的繼續玩下去。
What are the essential key features to get your fashion company running? How big is your team? What would you recommend for fashion designers starting out and creating their own brand like yours?
I think a more precise answer to this question should not be limited to fashion, because I believe that the essence of all industries is the same – business. A well-developed company should have a clear direction, a well executed plan and a strong ability to execute. In plain English: you know where you want to end up, you know how to get there, and you’re prepared to deal with any problems that arise along the way. #DAMUR started as a one-person company and has grown to a team size of about 6-8 people.
If you want to start your own brand, the advice I can give is to make sure you really love it. Is it bigger than just a summer holiday (my stereotype is that Europeans would rather die than go on holiday)? Are you able to get up and smile after countless setbacks and failures?
让时装公司运转的基本关键功能是什么？你的团队有多大？？对于像您这样创建自己的品牌的初出茅庐的时装设计师，您有什么建议？
我覺得更精準的去回答這個問題應該不能只侷限於流行服裝，因為我相信所有的產業都的本質原理都是一樣的 – 商業。而一家發展健全的公司應該具備明確的目標方向、精準執行計畫以及強大的執行能力。更白話的說：你知道你想要去的終點在哪，知道要如何抵達，也準備好去應對一路上會發生的一切問題。#DAMUR 從一開始的一人公司慢慢的成長到現在大約有6~8人的團隊規模。
如果你想要自創品牌，我能給的建議就是要確認你對這件事熱愛程度有多大，有沒有大於夏日假期(我的刻板印象是歐洲人不渡假寧可死)？你是否能夠在無數次的挫折與失敗後，能夠繼續站起來並且笑著繼續前行？
We love your issue of the #DAMUR magazine. We love the motto “SUSTAINABILITY IS THE NEW BERGHAIN“ which is Berlin’s favourite & most important night club. However, we know how important sustainability is now like nothing else in the fashion industry. From the side of an expert – how do you see the chance to approach it globally in the whole garment’s world? Can we beat cheap fast fashion someday and change the mindset of its customers?
I must first say that I dare not call myself an expert. The issue of sustainable environmental protection is too big and too broad to be thought of from a single face or perspective.
I still remember my father once telling me that there are not only black and white colours in this world, but also grey or meaningless colours between black and white.
Above all, after two years of reorganising after the pandemic, we do see that consumers are concerned and supportive of the issue, but if you really dig deeper, how many people understand the scientific data and analysis of the results? Or is it just a green label and a grass and a flower that is an angel to save the earth today? This is what worries me – consumers say with their mouths: let me take action to support sustainability, but their bodies are still honest enough to buy PRIMA or they always feel that the price could be cheaper, the discount could be more, but the quality has to be better and it has to be made in Germany.
If fast fashion is leading the fashion industry from 2010 to 2020, I believe sustainable fashion will replace fast fashion in leading the fashion industry from 2020 to 2030. Let’s keep reading.
我们喜欢您发行的#DAMUR 杂志。我们喜欢 “ “可持续发展是新的 BERHAIN“ 的座右铭，这是柏林最受欢迎和最重要的夜总会。然而，我们知道可持续性在时尚行业中的重要性与其他任何事物都不同。从专家的角度来看 – 您如何看待在整个服装领域全球接近它的机会？有朝一日我们能打败廉价的快时尚并改变其顾客的心态吗？
必須要先說，我不敢說自己是一個專家。永續環保這個議題太巨大太遼闊了，沒有辦法只單一的從一的面相或是角度去思考。我還記得我父親曾經對我說過，這世界上不是只有黑與白二個顏色，在黑與白之間還有灰色或是無法定義的顏色。在經過2年的新冠疫情的秩序重組，我們的確看到消費者對於相關議題的關心與支持，但是如果你真的要挖深一點，又有多少人理解背後的科學數據與結果分析？還是只是今天只要擺一個綠色標籤一枝草一朵花就是個拯救地球天使呢？這是讓我比較擔心的地方 – 消費者用嘴巴說出：讓我用行動支持永續環保，但身體還是很老實去購買PRIMA或是永遠都覺得價格可以再便宜一點，折購再多一點，但品質還要更好，還要Made in Germany。
如果說快時尚帶領了2010~2020的流行時尚產業，我相信永續時尚將會取代快時尚帶領2020~2030的流行時尚產業，但2030之後是什麼？就讓我們繼續看下去。
If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
Weligama in Sri Lanka is where I learned to surf and fell in love with surfing. Above all, my inner plan (fantasy and reflection) is to use my surfing journey/story in SS23 #DAMUR series to open a philosophical story “whether to surf or to be surfed by the waves”.
如果你现在可以传送的话，你最喜欢世界上哪个地方，为什么？
斯里蘭卡(Sri Lanka)的Weligama，因為我從這裡開始學會衝浪，並且愛上衝浪。我內心計劃(幻想與思考中)在SS23 #DAMUR系列裡，用我的衝浪旅程/故事來打開一段到底是被人衝浪還是浪衝人的人生哲學故事。
Interview 作者: Izabella Chrobok
Translation 翻译: Emi
Photos照片: CIJlestin Ma (麥羨雲)
Fashion: #DAMUR
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