Yang Li, student at l'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne

With the beginning of summer comes the end of classes, and in schools the mood is festive as students hand in their final work. We’re here at the prestigious École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Founded in the 1930’s, the school is known for its exacting technical standards and connections with top fashion houses. The school now has a fourth year of studies dedicated to combining design creativity with business know-how. To make a name for oneself in today’s demanding fashion industry imagination and innovation are not enough...students must be commercially savvy as well.
Yang Li is 24 years old. His parents live in China and produce low-end clothing that can be found in supermarkets the world over. For them, making it in the fashion industry has always been a dream. In 2008 they sent their son to Bordeaux, France for a year to learn french. But since then Li has learned much more than just linguistics...he’s also found inspiration in design.
After having mastered the mental and the technical, Yang Li learned to tell a story... his story, based on the concept of reuse.
For Li recycling reigns supreme. He sees something new in anything old... a piece of clothing within a piece of clothing... The result of his research on pvc laminating of vintage pieces. His plans for the future?
With his eyes set on Martin Margiela...the young designer won’t be returning home anytime soon. It looks like Yang Li’s parents will have to wait a bit longer for their dreams of creating a high-end fashion brand to come true.