Ziwen Niu

Ziwen Niu focus mostly on menswear design, using mixed media and soft systems. He is a

curious observer of life, and his work explores human relationships and our relationship

with objects. 

He completed his BA in Fashion in China, and all his inspiration came from his own life. He

was interested in how people around him lived their lives and whether their behaviours

connected with him, affecting his own lifestyle, and how he showed this.

During his MA, diverse media and materials have enriched his practice and expression.

Additionally, living in London has also enabled him to concentrate on wider social

connections, beyond himself.

During my journey, I have been continuously exploring the possibilities of fashion and

textiles. And I have come to a clear realization that fashion and textiles do not only satisfy

aesthetic and functional needs, but also serve as mediums or bridges for people to establish

interactive relationships with the outside world, blending individual design sensibilities.

Embracing technology and functionality, they shouldn’t be limited by tackling problems;

instead, they could profoundly drive people's capacity for empathy, and achieve deep

emotional interaction.

Consequently, all my works are centred around achieving human emotional interaction

through fashion and textiles, utilizing materials and techniques that stimulate a sense of

humanization.

Currently, my ongoing project focuses on jewellery. I believe that in one of your drawers,

you must have some jewellery from your parents, friends, or partners that you rarely wear,

keeping them in boxes for an extended period or even forgetting about them. However, I

view these pieces of jewellery as mediums that hold special or emotional memories and

relationships, while also interacting with our daily lives.

Thus, my creative intention is to design a program that allows everyone to redesign these

jewellery pieces using their brain waves, transforming them into garments or jewellery by

utilizing 3D printing on knitting fabric. To some extent, it achieves emotionally durable and

interactive design.

Extensive research has identified three key elements in this project: The oxidized layer, the

motion of wearing, and the structure of the jewellery.