-Go with LETWENTYSIX designer Yvonne Cheung

Yvonne Cheung: “I sincerely hope that my fashion collection can now raise the public’s awareness that disabilities should be more carefully considered.”

Yvonne Cheung, from the London College of Fashion, has launched her new collection based on the theme of deafness.

This project is a collaboration between London College of Fashion and Urban Outfitters. The latter is a multinational, lifestyle retail company specializing in fashion design. They are adept at linking sub-cultural elements with brand design and are positive regarding the development of niche cultural influences.

Yvonne did a great deal of research before starting these designs. She visited UO’s store in Oxford Circus and talked to the manager, who told her that the company pays particular attention to design details. The latter include printing, straps, logo design, etc. Subsequently, Yvonne did further research on the UO house style and discovered which fabrics were the most marketable.

Too often, the deaf is marginalized, and Yvonne watched deaf-mute educational videos, better to understand the risks of emotional isolation as well as client preferences. She is learning sign language from the British Sign Language Dictionary and is studying how deaf people respond to the works of deaf artists, such as Harry Williams and Clare Bergman. In this context, she said: “My project focuses on a marginalized group: the deaf. I very much hope to increase social awareness [of their problems] through the influence of fashion”. This goal, of course, requires effort and engagement by society as a whole.

Yvonne’s design work utilizes the concept of the Urban Outfitters brand. It also addresses the ways in which clothing can satisfy the eclectic demands of a diverse range of consumers. At the same time, it makes the public feel that fashion is open to everyone – a field equally welcoming to any group in society.