The Art of Knitwear: OR by Angela Chen

Drawing inspiration from contemporary artist Jonathan Lasker, Angela Chen is embracing the complexities of simplicity while exploring the Art of Knitwear.

This season’s Fall Winter 2011 collection, titled Sleep & Poetry (also the partial title of a Lasker book of drawings & poetry and a poem by John Keats) focuses on repetition and freehanded lines based upon perception and intuition. Each objet d’art is composed of textured yarns in neutral tones making up 16-odd looks that will come to life on the runway this Friday, April 1st at 2:00PM EST at Heritage Court.

With a strong appreciation for Lasker’s artistic technique, misshapen silhouettes, and minimal colour palette, Angela will be taking on the role of narrative as she tells the story of abstract expressionism through the use of hand-knit materials. “The repetition and sporadic brush strokes of Jonathan Lasker’s works were a huge inspiration for me this season,” says Angela. “Playing with new shapes and designing in the moment, as Lasker truly mastered, has allowed me to advance as an artist – I knit every piece in this collection myself by hand!”

Angela keeps her colours simple yet chic this season with hues comprising of lavender and sapphire blue layered upon her fundamental neutrals of black, white and light grey. The power of expressionism through art has inspired Angela to create a collection that emphasizes texture and shape while remaining sophisticated and timeless.

As one of the most promising students to graduate from Parsons The New School for Design, last year in 2010 Angela was appointed the National Portfolio Day Judge for Parsons in Vancouver, a prestigious title that only a handful of alumni hold, “My time at Parsons has proved invaluable to my career as a designer. In addition to my time spent with Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera and Anna Sui, I would not be where I am today without the lessons I learnt at Parsons both personally and professionally.”

Born in Taiwan and raised in Vancouver, Angela Chen graduated from the highly prestigious Parsons The New School for Design in New York as one of the most promising designers in her class and was recently appointed the National Portfolio Day Judge for Parsons in Vancouver. She has worked under some of the world’s top designers including Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera and Anna Sui. The transformative nature and alluring power of fashion inspire her to create collections that are minimal and structured, yet feminine and wearable. Previously working under the name “Orange”, Angela Chen transitioned the brand name to “OR” in 2010. Chen has dressed celebrity clientele including Chloë Sevigny, Emily Haines, Alison Pill, Kirsten Dunst, and Canadian supermodels Daria Werbowy, and Coco Rocha.