Young Fashion Designers Surviving the Recession
The recession has filled the streets of New York with hundreds of recent college graduates seeking jobs at firms in industries that were once booming. Despite the hard hit of the recession on the fashion industry, there are many who have created inspiration out of adversity. YuYu Chen is one of them. This is her story...
A graduate of the San Francisco Academy of Art class of 2000 in graphic design, Yuyu was pioneering into an industry that saw gross incomes peak to the 2.25 billion in the year 2000. Today, nine years later during the biggest economic recession since the 1930’s. The fashion industry became the biggest victim of the recession as the demands for new designs and designers have dropped. YuYu is determined to turn things around by focusing on one of her earlier passions; shoes.
Made with eco-friendly material featuring elegant leather laces and recycled Vinyl Metallic Leather and partly recycled midsole and outsole, her collection of Hush Puppies titled “Astro Boy Back to the Future” is not only a reflection of the current times we are living in, but today’s conscious and broke consumer who are seeking efficiency and affordability in fashion.
YuYu is one example of how today’s conscious graduates are seeking alternatives to stay afloat during these tough times. According to YuYu, we have to “Stay optimistic, and keep an open mind with everything that's happening around you.” It is true; creativity is a sort of defense mechanism against the effects of a flawed economy. It's a way of seeking opportunities out of adversity.
YuYu's “Astro boy back to the future” collection has been selected as a finalist on the Shoeperstar.com competition for best Hush Puppies design. You may cast your votes at Shoeperstar.com. Keep an eye out for YuYu Chen’s designs around shops of New York.
