WINDOWSEN：A SPACE CHAMELEON FROM THE CHINESE FASHION INDUSTRY
Whether you agree with it or not, a WINDOWSEN clothing item is bound to catch your attention. The bold colors, dramatic tension, and unique silhouettes are impossible to ignore and leave a lasting impression on the viewer's mind, much like indelible cookies.
不管你同意或喜欢与否，在看到WINDOWSEN的任意一件单品时，令人无法忽视的大胆用色、戏剧张力与古怪廓形会迅速植入观者大脑并留下无法轻易删除的Cookies。
Founded in 2018, this Chinese independent fashion brand has taken the fashion industry by storm. WINDOWSEN has become an unstoppable force, injecting vitality into an otherwise monotonous industry. Like a chameleon from outer space, it has rapidly made its way into the wardrobes of club kids and even onto the performance stages of international superstars, spreading at an undetectable speed to the naked eye.
这个中国独立时装品牌成立于2018年，在短短数年间已然成为如今略显沉闷的时尚界中一个不可控的变量。就像来自太空的变色龙，WINDOWSEN正在以肉眼无法观测的速度迅速蔓延至Club Kids的衣橱，甚至是国际巨星的演出舞台。
From the 2021FW “Replica ET” to the 2023SS “Virtual Wrestler”, to 2024SS “Chat Angels” and 2024FW “Kill Angels” that are intertwined like twin series, each WINDOWSEN collection is a spectacle more akin to a sci-fi cult film than just a collection of clothing. With founder Sensen Lii at the helm, the brand has masterfully constructed a bizarre fashion universe through concept films, show music, runway models, and garments, all arranged in an orderly fashion.
从2021秋冬的“外星复制人”到2023春夏的“虚拟摔跤手”，再到像孪生系列一样交织共生的2024春夏的“ChatAngels”与2024秋冬的“KillAngels”，WINDOWSEN的每一个系列更像是一部科幻Clut片，而远不局限于服装本身。概念影片、秀场音乐、走秀模特与服饰单品在品牌创始人Sensen Lii的主导下，井然有序地构建出了WINDOWSEN光怪陆离的时装宇宙。
WINDOWSEN's signature design is the creation of clothing that blurs gender boundaries, challenging the established concepts of binary gender. The brand artfully combines exaggerated feminine elements with sportswear that represents masculinity. This design philosophy is evident in Sensen Lii's early work, such as the oversized shoulder sports leather jacket paired with a nude fishtail skirt. In the words of Sensen Lii, it is "the combination of sports elements and traditional haute couture".
围绕着二元性别既定观念去创作模糊性别界限的服饰是WINDOWSEN的标签式设计手法，将传统观念中强调女性气质的“夸张时装”与代表男子气概的“运动服饰”相融合。这在Sensen Lii的早期作品中便有体现——一套由超大肩膀运动皮夹克和裸色紧身鱼尾裙组成的造型。用Sensen Lii的话来说，就是“运动元素和传统高定的结合”。
From couture to ready-to-wear, the creation of WINDOWSEN's unique aesthetic is deeply rooted in Sensen Lii's upbringing, his childhood experiences with computer operating systems and sci-fi films, his theatre major in university, and his learning experience in Antwerp. Sensen Lii also draws inspiration from subcultures such as ballroom and drag queens. All of these are subtly internalized into the design language of Sensen Lii, and then reflected in WINDOWSEN's clothing.
无论是类似可穿戴艺术的高定线还是实穿性更强的成衣线，WINDOWSEN独特美学的形成很大程度上源自Sensen Lii的成长历程，小时候用过的电脑操作系统与看过的科幻电影、大学时攻读的戏剧专业、安特卫普的学习经历，以及不断从Ballroom、Drag Queen等亚文化中汲取的灵感，所有这一切都潜移默化地内化成了Sensen Lii的设计语言，再体现在WINDOWSEN的服饰当中。
WINDOWSEN has just released the Kill Angels RTW AW24 collection during Paris Fashion Week, which once again brings us into the digital realm of the brand, and taking the opportunity to do so, SABUKARU sat down with Sensen Lii to discuss everything about his inspirations,insights on the fashion industry as well as the brand's exciting development plans.
WINDOWSEN刚在巴黎时装周期间发布KillAngles RTW AW24系列，再次将我们带进WINDOWSEN 的数字领域，借着这一契机，SABUKARU和Sensen Lii坐下来聊了聊，谈论关于WINDOWSEN的一切、他对时尚行业的见解和更多令人兴奋的发展计划。
Sensen Lii’s Portrait
SABUKARU：向Sabukaru的读者们介绍一下你自己以及WINDOWSEN吧！
SABUKARU：CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND WINDOWSEN TO THE SABUKARU NETWORK?
Sensen Lii：WINDOWSEN was founded in 2019, when I was in my second year in Antwerp. At that time I won the VFiles award at the New York Fashion Week. When I did a fashion show, I needed a brand name to represent myself, so WINDOWSEN was born. The name comes from the Windows system, I like the contrast of colors in the computer system and some retro standalone games. It also corresponds to the time when I started planning the brand. It's just that I was still in school, so I didn't do anything relatively market-oriented, and it was just an incubation of a concept.
Sensen Lii：WINDOWSEN是2019年我在安特卫普读二年级时创立的，当时我赢得了纽约时装周的VFiles奖项，去走秀的时候需要有一个品牌名称来代表我自己，所以就有了WINDOWSEN。这个名字源自Windows系统，我喜欢电脑系统中颜色的对比度和一些复古的单机游戏。也相当于那个时候我才开始筹划这个品牌，只是当时还在上学，没有做相对市场化的东西，还只是一个概念的孵化。
Sensen Lii: WINDOWSEN will include many concepts that break gender boundaries and will combine elements of sports and couture. It is an overhead universe, a universe of its own that can represent all kinds of personalities and communities that want to express themselves.
Sensen Lii：WINDOWSEN会有很多模糊性别的概念出现，会去结合运动和高定的元素。它是一个架空的宇宙，一个属于自己的宇宙，能代表形形色色的有个性的人和愿意表达自我的群体。
AW24 “Kill Angels'“ Runway
SABUKARU：What is the inspiration behind the just released WINDOWSEN AW24 RTW collection?
SABUKARU：刚刚发布的WINDOWSEN AW24 RTW 系列背后的灵感是什么？
Sensen Lii：I am constantly inspired by virtual and digital worlds. When it comes to my own creation - my own fashion collection - all these are somehow blended into my inspiration of my creativity.As you can see Chat Angel RTW2024 was a virtual dreamy story in which the main character attended a fancy ball, however it took a drastic thrilling turn in this KillAngels RTW AW24 collection. Like many of the great stories we have read, the ups and downs and contradictions make the story more fascinating, and unpredictable incidents always turn the story into a more appealing and unforgettable experience to the audience or readers.
Sensen Lii：我不断受到虚拟数字世界的启发。当谈到我自己的创作时，我自己的时装系列，所有这些都以某种方式融入了我的创造力灵感中。正如你所看到的，Chat Angel RTW2024是一个虚拟的梦幻故事，其中主角参加了一场华丽的舞会，但在KillAngels RTW AW24系列中，情况发生了戏剧性的惊心动魄的转变。就像我们读过的许多伟大故事一样，跌宕起伏、矛盾重重让故事更加引人入胜，而不可预知的事件总是让故事成为对观众或读者来说更有吸引力、更难忘的经历。
SABUKARU：A LOT OF MEDIA WILL MENTION THAT YOU GRADUATED FROM ANTWERP, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU DID NOT TAKE THE FINAL EXAM. WHAT IS THE TRUTH?
SABUKARU：有很多媒体撰写WINDOWSEN相关报道时都会提到你毕业于安特卫普，但据我所知你并没有去参加最后的考试，所以真相到底是怎样的？
Sensen Lii：In fact, what I have always said is that I studied in this school and did not graduate because I did not take the final exam for the junior year. Just before the exam, I got a job opportunity, and I ended it all in advance. Nevertheless, I think that this experience is very important to me and even affects me to this day, although it is not a pleasant memory. Part of the reason I didn't take the exam is that I didn't want or need a final evaluation from a system I hate.
Sensen Lii：其实我一直说的是我就读于这个学校，并没有毕业，因为大三的结业考试我没有去参加，刚好考试前接到了一个工作的机会，我就直接提前结束了这一切。尽管如此，我还是觉得这段上学的经历对于我来说非常重要，乃至影响我到今天，虽然这并不是一段愉快的回忆。之所以没去考试，部分原因也是我不想也不需要让一个我讨厌的体系给我做出最后的评价。
SABUKARU：THE CLOTHES YOU DESIGN ARE SO GORGEOUS, BUT TODAY YOUR OUTFITS ARE RELATIVELY SIMPLE. WHY IS THERE SUCH A CONTRAST?
SABUKARU：你设计的衣服如此华丽，但今天你穿得却相对日常，这种反差来自于哪里？
SENSEN LII：I think clothes can reflect a person's current stage and condition. Right now, my vehicle of expression is not me, but my brand and my collection. I have a lot of over-the-top clothes in my closet, but I don't want to wear them, which doesn't mean I won't, it's just that I don't have the energy to style myself right now, so I keep it simple.
Sensen Lii：我觉得衣服能体现一个人的阶段和状态。在当下，我的表达载体不是我自己，而是我的品牌和系列。我的衣橱里有很多很夸张的衣服，但我并不想去穿，这并不意味我不会这样去做，只是我现在没有那么多心思去给自己造型，所以会穿得相对简单一点。
SABUKARU：WHAT ARE THE MOST EXCITING MOMENTS FOR YOU AS A FASHION DESIGNER?
SABUKARU：作为一个服装设计师，哪些时刻最让你兴奋？
Sensen Lii：Before a collection is unveiled, whether online or offline. When all the models are dressed and the runway show is about to begin, there's a level of excitement you can't get at any other time.
Sensen Lii：在发布系列之前，无论是线上发布还是线下发布。当所有模特的服饰妆发都准备好就要开始走秀时，你会有一个异常高的兴奋点，是其他任何时候都无法达到的。
SABUKARU：AS AN INDEPENDENT FASHION DESIGNER, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING?
SABUKARU：你认为对一个独立的服装设计师而言，什么才是最重要的？
Sensen Lii：Stick to the output of what you want to express. Use unique concepts or techniques to convey what you want to express. This is the only way to differentiate yourself from commercial brands and big fashion houses. Without such an attitude, it would be difficult for independent designers to survive. If you don't have a message to express, just export clothes, I think anyone can do it, not necessarily me.
Sensen Lii：坚持输出你想要表达的东西。通过一个个独特的概念或者手法去传达你想表达的事情，你才能区别于商业品牌和大的时装屋。把这个东西丢掉的话，独立设计师其实是比较难生存的。如果你没有想要表达的信息只是纯粹地输出衣服，我觉得这件事所有人都可以做，不一定非我不可。
SABUKARU：BESIDES THE WINDOWS SYSTEM, WHAT OTHER SOURCES OF INSPIRATION DOES WINDOWSEN HAVE FOR ITS STRONG DIGITAL SCI-FI STYLE?
SABUKARU：除了Windows系统，WINDOWSEN浓厚的科幻数码风格还有什么其他灵感来源？
Sensen Lii：Those retro-futuristic illustrations from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even around the millennium. I love the images of the future that people portrayed in the past, both in their style and in their texture. Until then, I will continue to do some random research and download more images from those years.
Sensen Lii：七八十年代以及九十年代、甚至是千禧年前后的那些复古未来风格的插画，我很喜欢过去人们所描绘的畅想未来的图像，无论是它们的画风还是质感。直到现在我也会不断地去做一些随机的调研，下载更多那些年代的图像。
SABUKARU：WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE TEMPERAMENT OF GENDER BLENDING?
SABUKARU：那模糊性别这一气质的来源是？
Sensen Lii：When I did my first mini collection in my second year in Antwerp, the first reference I used was drag queen culture, and I also like sports, so I mixed those elements together. In the traditional concept, sports elements are more representative of men, while haute couture dresses are more representative of women. I tried to combine them to completely break that concept. From the first look I designed, it was clear what WINDOWSEN wanted to express, and it continues to this day.
Sensen Lii：在安特卫普二年级做第一个迷你服装系列时，我用的第一个参考资料就是Drag Queen文化，加上我又很喜欢运动的元素，于是就把这些元素杂糅在一起。在传统观念里运动元素更能代表男性，而高定的华丽的纱裙更代表女性，我试图将它们结合起来以完全打破这个概念。从我设计的第一个造型开始就很明确WINDOWSEN想要表达的事情，并且延续至今。
SABUKARU：A LOT OF DESIGNERS COLLECT A LOT OF ARCHIVAL GARMENTS FROM OTHER BRANDS FOR REFERENCE, SO WHAT BRANDS DO YOU USUALLY REFERENCE?
SABUKARU：许多设计师都会收集大量其他品牌的档案服饰以作参考，那你通常会参考哪些品牌的服饰呢？
Sensen Lii：I appreciate many brands, but you know that a brand with a longer history often has more different stages, and these stages also correspond to different design styles. For example, Mugler and Alexander McQueen in the 1990s are very inspiring to me, as are the costumes of Eiko Ishioka, as well as the national costumes of the European Middle Ages, or the armor worn by soldiers.
Sensen Lii：我有自己很喜欢的品牌，但你知道往往历史越悠久的品牌会有越多不同的阶段，这些阶段也对应着风格迥异的设计风格。比如说九十年代的Mugler和Alexander McQueen都是非常能激发我灵感的，包括石冈瑛子的戏服，还有欧洲中世纪的民族服饰，或者是士兵所穿着的盔甲。
SABUKARU：YOU HAVE WORKED WITH MADONNA, LADY GAGA, BLACKPINK AND MANY OTHER ARTISTS. IS THERE ANY ARTIST WHO CAN FULLY EXPRESS THE INFORMATION HIDDEN IN YOUR CLOTHING?
SABUKARU：你和Madonna、Lady Gaga、BLACKPINK等众多艺人都合作过，有没有哪个艺人能最大程度地将你隐含在服饰中的信息表达出来的吗？
Sensen Lii：I haven't found an artist who can express 100% of what I want to express, and in my opinion there is no such thing as 100% expression. For example, I have a setting when I draw a sketch, but after the clothes are made, the conversion process from 2D to 3D also has errors. It's an amazing process, and the results can be better or worse than you imagined. Then, when you find someone to wear it, each person is a unique individual, and the clothing will change as it is worn.
Sensen Lii：我还没找到能百分百表达我所想表达的艺人，在我看来也没有百分百表达这一说。举个例子，我在画设计图的时候是有一个设定的，但当衣服做出来之后，2D到3D这个转换过程也是有误差的，这是一个很奇妙的过程，出来的结果可能比你想象中的要更好或更差，而后当你找人去穿，每个人又是一个独特的个体，服装又会在被穿着的过程中产生变化。
Sensen Lii: The act of dressing is also very interesting, so most of the models I use are not professional models in the traditional sense, but amateurs with different personalities. When you work with different people, you get completely different feedback. I enjoy the effect of this uncontrollable.
Sensen Lii: 穿着这个行为本身就很有趣，所以我用的模特大部分都不是传统意义上的专业模特，而是一些拥有不同个性的素人。跟不同的人去合作的时候，会给到你完全不同的反馈，我享受这种不可控所带来的冲击。
SABUKARU：IF YOU COULD CHOOSE, WHICH ARTIST WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO WORK WITH NOW ?
SABUKARU：如果让你随意选择，你现在最想合作的艺人是？
Sensen Lii：Lady Gaga before 2012, that was a very brave stage for her. Of course, I also participated in some costume design for her concert before that, but that's all later. I have been listening to her songs since I was a teenager, and her lyrics and MVs have inspired me a lot. Then there is Madonna, although I have worked with her before, I still want to work with her again, so far she is an artist who has the courage to express herself and is very herself.
Sensen Lii：2012年以前的Lady Gaga，那是她非常勇敢的一个阶段。当然我之前也参与过她演唱会的一些设计，但那都是之后的事情了。我从青少年时期就开始听她的歌，包括她的歌词以及MV都给我带来了很多启发。还有就是Madonna，尽管我也曾经跟她合作过，但还是想再次合作，直到现在她还是一个勇于表达且非常自我的艺人。
SABUKARU：IF A FAMOUS FASHION HOUSE INVITED YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
SABUKARU：如果现在有一个知名的时装屋邀请你，你会如何抉择？
SENSEN LII：If many designers run their own brands and big fashion houses at the same time, they will fail to do both well, because it is true that one person's ability and energy are limited. For a very simple reason, if you go to work for a fashion house and you feel that you can't take care of it, you can stop your own brand first. To put it bluntly, the fashion house has only hired you for a few years. After you finish your work, you can continue to develop your own brand.
Sensen Lii：很多设计师在兼顾自己品牌和大的时装屋时，会出现两边都做不好的情况，因为确实一个人的能力和精力是有限的。一个很简单道理，你进去一个时装屋任职，如果你觉得兼顾不了，可以先停下自己的品牌。说句难听点的话，时装屋邀请你也就不过是几年时间，你这边做完了，再继续做自己品牌也是可以的。
SABUKARU：I HEARD THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO MOVE TO PARIS RECENTLY?
SABUKARU：听说你最近准备搬去巴黎？
Sensen Lii：Yes, I feel that the whole vibe of Paris gives me more freedom to put out what I want to express. There is no doubt that the general environment will influence people a lot. It is not necessary to have a deep exchange with the locals. The atmosphere and rhythm of the place will naturally affect you.
Sensen Lii：是的，我觉得巴黎的整个氛围更能让我自由地输出我想表达的东西。毋庸置疑的是，大环境会很影响人，不一定是要去和当地人很深入地交流，这个地方的氛围和节奏自然而然就会对你产生影响。
SABUKARU：NEXT, WILL WINDOWSEN FOCUS MORE ON THE COUTURE LINE OR THE READY-TO-WEAR LINE?
SABUKARU：接下来WINDOWSEN会更专注于高定线还是成衣线？
Sensen Lii：For me, both lines are inseparable, and it's hard to say which is more important. They are like different identities that exist in my body, representing my different personalities. The ready-to-wear line is more flamboyant, more street and more inclusive, like a movie with a strong theme; the ready-to-wear line is long-term output. Both tell the same story, but the point of entry is different.
Sensen Lii：对我来说，两条线都是不可舍弃的，很难说哪边更重要。它们就像存在于我躯壳里的不同身份，承载着我不同的个性。成衣线更张扬、更街头、更包容，像一部主题性很强的电影；而成衣线对我个人而言是一个长线的输出，两者讲的都是一样的故事，只是切入点不同。
Text and Interview by Buzz Lee, editor-in-chief of 529D Lab based in China, Buzz Lee tries to record everything rejected by mainstream society. Most of his articles have been deleted by the Chinese government.
