Ma Ke: WuYong (Useless)

The title 'wu yong' translates to 'useless'.

Ma ke is known in China for her silent, organic and reflexive clothing that is more 
creative and experimental in shape. confronted by the local clothing industry with
its cheap, homogeneous mass-production and by a fashion scene lacking local aesthetic influence and dominated by foreign labels,  she dedicated herself to developing her ‘useless’ ideas.

Her collection references China’s rich history and highlights the role of time 
and natural processes, the qualities of organic materials and the value of handcraft.

Source: Here. 

Voluminous, sculptural garments that make up the 'wu yong' collection.

It questions the values propagated through clothing in modern cultures across the world,critiquing the consumerism, superficiality and commercialization of international fashion and the erasure of unique local historical and cultural memories.

纯粹手工与天然的制程，是传统技术的延续与活化，马可透过自己亲手缝制的衣服，邀请人们抛开消费的态度，珍惜手工之物的稀有性与感情．同时，她对于设计师的身分提出三种责任：生态的、道德的、文化传承的，亦即，避免在制程中危害环境、主动担任社会良知角色、在现实生活中通过创造力令传统焕发新的生命力。

(My not so accurate translation: Purely handmade and natural processes is a continuation and activation of traditional techniques, Ma Ke, through her  own handmade clothing, invites people to put aside the attitude of consumerism and cherish the rarity of the things made by hand and feelings that come along with. Meanwhile, she  proposed three responsibilities to her identity of being a designer: ecological, moral, cultural heritage, It is to avoid harming the environment in the manufacturing process, to active the role as a social conscience,  to display a new traditional vitality by creating things in a daily and real life basis.)

我对服装和设计师的身份的认识来自于我对世界和生命价值不断的思考和探索，并成为我创作的巨大而持久的动力，我深信正是这些对生命意义与精神价值的追求令我变得不再平庸。创作对于我是一条漫长的修行之路，踏踏实实地持续走在 这条路上永远比达到某一目标更重要，我愿意在这种主动选择的创造最为本质最为简朴的生活中追求最为奢侈富足的精神世界。

──马可

My understanding of clothing and the identity of a designer comes from my constantly thinking and exploration to the value of life and the world, and  this becomes to be my great and enduring creative power. I believe it is because of  the pursuit of these spiritual values of life and world,  I became not mediocre. Creating for me is like walking on a long road of practicing. It is always more important to move forward on this road in a "down to the earth" and  "continuing" manner  than to reach a goal. I would love to choose to pursue and initiative to create a "most essential" and" most simple life" , in which there is a " most extravagant affluence" spiritual world.

-----Ma Ke