Alison Tsai

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Born 1982, Taiwan; lives in New York, New York and Shanghai, China

Coding NonStop white coat, 2013; polyamide, viscose, cotton-silk blend, plastic beads; dimensions variable

Alison Tsai employs an analog approach to coding, meticulously tracking and quantifying daily life. Based on a cryptographic system that equates habits and rituals to pattern, material, and texture, she creats a design that is customized to reflect an individual psyche vis-à-vis behavior (obsessive, compulsive, spontaneous) rather than imposing her own brand or design. Tsai believes that innovation comes from a systematic approach, so coding, albeit this analog version, makes perfect sense for this medical physician turned architect turned award-winning fashion designer. Her elaborate notebooks that chart her daily activities and moods, as well as exhaustive experiments in patterns, designs, and materials translate into rich, inventive garments that defy categorization.

Alison Tsai moved to the United States to make this cataclysmic career switch to study fashion design at Parsons The New School, in New York. In 2014 she was awarded first place from a field of over a thousand entrants in the Best Outfit Design category of the Bilbao International Art & Fashion Design competition.

https://www.notjustalabel.com/alison-tsai

Image courtesy of artist