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 BY TIFFANY HALL |  | | | | | Cerebrally Yeohlee | | | | | | | For wearable art that’s seriously smart, think Teng. That’s Yeohlee Teng, the intellectual innovator behind YEOHLEE, her eponymous ready-to-wear line of functional, fashionable permutations. An informed perspective regarding current culture and a remarkably refined understanding of her customer’s proclivities have served Yeohlee in the creation of collections that are thoughtful, wearable, and purposeful. They’re the real deal, dame.
For Yeholee, the work has been a comprehensive process analogous to that of an architect, as form and function have synergistically combined in the production of garments that are both inspired and inspiring. Accordingly, the development of the brand has been driven by a variety of exhibitions showcasing her work alongside that of other established designers and artists. Yeohlee established the house in 1981 after studying at Parsons School of Design and her designs have been lauded liberally during the interim. Get this, gamine: the designer was honored with the 2004 Fashion Design Award by the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and published her book, YEOHLEE: WORK during the same time, to wide acclaim. The work is a survey of her first twenty years, founded upon the various exhibitions in which she has participated, and includes runway images, original sketches, and commentary by curators and prominent critics of fashion, art, and design. ‘Tis quite the visual privilege to behold as a great fashion story foretold. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Formerly of Malaysia, the designer’s inspirations are based upon a universal aesthetic, as she seeks to provide her clientele with clothing that fits them on a myriad of levels. Taking into account such factors as practicality, modernity, and psychology, Yeohlee constructs pieces to be truly utilized in a day-to-day regime by real women in the real world. “The women that I dress are very sharp,” says Yeohlee, “And the majority of them are working women. A lot of them hold important positions. They’re gallery owners, curators, collectors; they’re women of taste and style.” As any modern arbiter of fashion may attest, clothing must perform several functions in appealing to one’s own taste as well as fitting not only the curves of her body but the facets of her life.
Of course, in the culture of fashion, one also appreciates the element of surprise and seeks to be stimulated on a more cerebral level. “It’s very important not to dumb down things,” says Yeohlee. “Women of today are really smart. You really don’t have to stretch that much for them to get it, certainly not my clientele.” When it comes to those seeking her clothes, Yeohlee necessarily knows. “I have a very good idea of who my customer is.” She is also acutely attentive to current world issues and cultural influxes when developing her collections. “My inspiration comes from being aware of the environment, of social conditions, of popular culture; what people are eating and drinking, seeing, and looking at; movies, art, sculpture, design, furniture, architecture…everything that is in the air, that’s what I pull from.” | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The designer studies carefully her fabrics whilst considering the manner in which the piece will fall across the body and cites the great Madame Vionnet for her mastery of such methods. “Vionnet was the queen of drape and cut,” says Yeohlee. “She’s always been a source of inspiration for many designers.” For the Spring 2009 collection, Yeohlee looked to Bernard Tschumi’s Parc de la Villette in Paris. The parc is permeated by red steel pavilions referred to as follies, with each follie based on the shape of a deconstructed cube. This theme is clearly prevalent in Yeohlee’s pieces, as are the shapes of the crescent and the parabola, with the fabrics ranging from breezy knits to linen lamé and silk organza. The corresponding injections of bright red hues lend a vibrancy and an uplifting overall expression, something that our collective culture can, of course, really use at this juncture.
As a true artist and an intellect, Yeohlee is optimistic about the current state of affairs. “I think we’re in a very good place. This is the moment when people are really thinking about what they want to buy and what they want to own. My personal philosophy has always been to buy what you need; you may want a lot of things but you need to have a very useful wardrobe.” Also, says the designer, “As people become more selective, it pushes up the ante. Design has to get better. It’s a moment when good design can flourish.”
For the prosperity of prêt-a-porter, we shall all hope and pray. ‘Tis those such as Yeohlee that allow for this, and greatly do we admire them with bountiful bliss.
Betty Reiter
Location: 4030 Villanova Street, Dallas, TX 75225
Call: 214.373.9990
Visit: www.yeohlee.com | | | | | | | |
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