Just as the most confident lady at a party is not necessarily the one in towering heels or a body-con dress, the most respected of fashion designers are usually not the ones hungry for the limelight or eager for celebrity endorsement. Humble, steadfast, a quiet overachieving designer like Yeohlee is hard to come by. Pioneering sustainability and minimalism since the label’s inception in the 80s, American-based, Malaysian-born Yeohlee is frequently dubbed as ‘the designer’s designer’. Having had her collections exhibited at various galleries and museums around the globe including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, I find it difficult to believe that the label is not as well-known as it ought to be. Comfort, cut, wearability and sustainability are the pillars upon which the 30 years-old label is built on. “When a woman is comfortable, she can be most beautiful and powerful.’

Her Spring Runway 14 collection, embodied by a subdued palette of white, pink, green and grey, was showcased in the luscious surrounds of the Jones Wood Garden, a rare oasis in the centre of Manhattan’s urban landscape. There was not one loud speaker, turntable or celebrity in sight. Natalia Paruz, the Saw Lady, provided zen-like melodies with unique Japanese bells and her famed singing saw that relaxed show-attendees to the core. As we admired each look from afar, the styles at first appear simple, but upon closer examination, the fabric and construction of each Yeohlee piece reveals the painstakingly meticulous craftsmanship unique to Yeohlee‘s creations. Always with cut, proportion and sustainability in mind, each Yeohlee garment is designed in a way that ensures minimal fabric wastage. Long before ‘green’ and ‘eco-friendly’ became the ‘new black’, Yeohlee has been championing sustainable practises since 1981. No wonder the label is able to enjoy such a peaceful and fruitful reign all these years. 

[spoiler title=”中文版”]正如在晚会上最有信心的女人通常不一定是穿着超高的高跟鞋或身穿着超露或超紧的裙子那一位，最受尊敬的设计师也不一定是一位渴望别人（社会，新闻界，名人， 等等）的赞成。一位像Yeohlee那样安静，谦虚，踏实的设计师是很难得的。自从她的品牌在80年代成立以来，在于美国，马来西亚出生的Yeohlee经常被称为 “设计师的设计师”。是她在三十年前就开始在乎时装界的浪费，因此她所创造的衣服都小化布料的浪费。她的作品在世界上各个不同的画廊和博物馆被展览过，包括纽约的大都会艺术博物馆。我觉得很难相信，Yeohlee这么著名的设计师竟然不众所周知。她的精力不浪费在市场营销上，对她来说，时装最重要的是剪裁，布料，舒适性，而且衣服必须耐磨。 “当一个女人穿的最舒服的时候，她才是最美丽，最有力量的。”

她2014年春季的时装展示了柔和的白色，粉红色，绿色和灰色，反映了在曼哈顿城市中一片难得的绿洲：优雅景观的Jones Wood 花园的颜色。没有任何响亮的扬声器，转盘或名人在场。“锯夫人”纳塔利娅Paruz，用着禅宗般的旋律与独特的日本式钟声和她著名锯子的歌唱，提供了秀的完美背景音乐。当我们欣赏着每一位模特的服装时，Yeohlee的衣服远看带有简约的风格，但仔细观察面料和建设才能揭示她细致的手工艺术。每件Yeohlee服装保正穿者舒适并优雅，而且服装带有最少的面料浪费。 难怪自从1981年以来，这个品牌能够享受这么多年时髦的寿命。[/spoiler]