Lieu Le works as a clothing designer and artist . Lieu Le was born in 1991 in Norway with Vietnamese heritage.
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«Moment when the mind is free to let the body create»
- Ensō from Zen Buddhism
Lieu Le (b.1991) is a designer and artist based in Norway with Vietnamese heritage. Lieu Le graduated from London College Fashion in 2015 with a Bachelor in Fashion Design. She is currently enrolling at Oslo National Academy of Arts, doing her Masters in Design, with specialization with Fashion Design & Costume Design.
Her work is highly influenced by both Nordic and Asian cultures, emphasizing the fashion art, spirituality and movement. She works across the medium of fashion/costume design, painting and performing arts.
CO: To those who are not familiar with you or your work; how would you briefly explain it?
LL: I works across the medium of fashion design, costume design, painting and performing arts. My work is mainly influenced by both Nordic and Asian cultures, especially Vietnam where my heritage is from. I create interdisciplinary work by blending textile, art, spirituality and movement.
My clothing design aesthetic is clean, yet experimental. This year August I launched my own eponymous slow-fashion label, LIEU LE. The brand takes inspiration from Scandinavian design, traditional Asian clothing and dance wear. The brand is divided in two lines: CAPSULE and LOUNGE. CAPSULE is a more conceptual line, whereas LOUNGE is the commercial line.
My artistic work is mainly monochromatic. The bright yellow colour is visibly reflected in my work, the colour gives me strength and energy, and I wish my work can give the audience the same self-healing effect. Hence why the color yellow is so visible in my debut.
Women and feminity is central in my work. By investigating my own heritage, and the meaning behind beauty, I try to capture the sensuality and power of the feminine energy.
My paintings are mainly figurative self-portraits in watercolor. I enjoy working with the fluidity of water, which allows me to convey my inner emotions and feelings into the painting more easily. It is a tool for me to investigate my research further.
CO: What is the most important drive for you to create and why?
LL: To me, creating is my way of breathing. I don’t think I can live or be fully happy/fulfilled without creating. I do a lot of personal reflection through my work. It is a constant message to myself and what I would like to convey to the world.
In the past I would create and not think much of what happens to the art I made. I mostly did it for my own artistic development. As I try to live a more ethical lifestyle it has also been challenging to find the answer in what is the right way of creating. Obviously everybody will have their own way.
Nowadays when I create, I try to think how can I create art that is either timeless/long-lasting or can be enjoy temporary in the moment without creating non-biodegradable waste. I think there is a beauty in temporary art. That you fully immerse yourself into the present moment to appreciate, then it will vanish, just like looking at the rainbow after a rainy day.
CO: How do your own experiences influence your work?
LL: I would say, my various experience has brought me to the artist and person I am today. Without it, my work probably would have been approached and expressed differently.
I grew up in a small town in Norway, surrounded by nature and a peaceful atmosphere, raised in a Vietnamese Buddhist family. Which has given me the essential connection to nature and spiritual belief. Also the contrast of the different culture/tradition that my parents brought with them from Vietnam vs the one I became familiar with in Norway made me aware of how to balance between something different, yet similar. Like the philosophical concept of yin and yang, that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. I guess for this reason, I often feel attracted to the opposite, and trying to find the harmony between them.
However there were one experience that made me truly realize that I want to pursue a creative path. During high school I went for a year student exchange in Japan. I was basically so amazed by Japanese street fashion, it was so different, in a positive way. When I came back to Norway I decided to change my major to art instead of academic studies.
While the fascination of investigating the connection between clothing, the body and movement, derives from my past experience doing street dancing as a teenager. Dance has given me the opportunity to connect to so many beautiful people and memories. I am happy that I have found my way to incorporate dance/movement into my work. I see dance as a movement meditation, freeing the body and mind.
CO: Can you elaborate on an important moment in your life where you experienced a big change, chose to make one or another event which altered your way of thinking or your approach to creativity?
LL: During the pandemic I was dealing with fatigue, which gave me no choice to slow down to the extreme. I was homebound for nearly a year until my body slowly made process. It was at this moment, I realized I could not continue the fast pace lifestyle I have been living, and the important of finding balance between active living and REALLY slowing down.
I believe the pandemic gave me the time to put more thought into my work, and shape it towards a more clear direction. All artist mature in their own pace. Now I am in my early 30s and I feel more clear than ever on what I want to achieve. Even if you find your artistic direction in your 50s, it is totally fine. Each individual journey is differently.
CO: What do you want to communicate through your work? Is there a message - political or otherwise?
LL: Through my work I wishes to take the audience on a journey of renewal, exploration and self-healing.
CO: Who or what do you value as a great inspiration for you creatively?
LL: Life itself. The fascination, the wonder. It is a tremendous inspiration and drive force for my creativity, everything it gives and takes away.
If I have to name an artist, then it would be the Japanese designer Issey Miyake. I felt very sad when he passed away this summer. It would have been a true honor to meet and learn from him.
My favorite quote from him: “From the beginning I thought about working with the body in movement, the space between the body and clothes. I wanted the clothes to move when people moved. The clothes are also for people to dance or laugh – Issey Miyake.”
CO: How does digital and social media affect or inspire your life and creations?
LL: To be honest, I have a love and hate relationship towards social media. It can be a source of inspiration, encouragement and a way to document my work and process in a creative way. It can also be a way to be discovered, and show my work to a wider international audience. However sometimes I think I would be happier if I can live by just creating own work without needing to take on the SoMe role as well haha. In the future I hope to present more of my work as IRL experiences such as performance art and installation, that’s where I believe it’s truly align with my artistic goal and value of how I can deeply connect to the audience.
CO: Do artists of today have some kind of of social responsibility?
LL: Definitely!
CO: What does «collective» mean for you?
LL: Family. Safe community. Support and strengthen each other. Working together with love.
CO: What are the main reasons you collaborate with COLLECTIVE OSLO?
LL: I admire COLLECTIVE OSLO vision, and think it aligned very well with my work.
To me clothing is art, and through COLLECTIVE OSLO I believe I can work towards elevating it to the same stature as other art practices. Especially changing the view of clothing in Norway.
I’m very excited to collaborate with COLLECTIVE OSLO!
CO: What role do you think art should play in today’s society?
LL: It is essential part of daily life. Art is all around us, it depends on how we observe and view. The perspective we give to it.
CO: What do you aspire to? In the near future? In life in general?
LL: My artistic goal is to create art that encourage healing. Changing and shaping the art and fashion industry towards a positive and sustainable direction.
The goal with LIEU LE is to offers designs that encourage spiritual calmness, and a cut that allows movement, allowing the wearer through awareness and comfort to get in touch with their own body and inner self.
Additionally as a first generation immigrant, I want to support the minority group of Asian/POC creatives like myself, and this was an essential part of planning the first photoshoot of my recent collection. I worked with a very talented photographer, David Hyde, which focus on sustainably, diversity and inclusivity in his work .
In the near future I hope to participate in more group exhibitions that merge textile, art and movement, and my aspiration would be to have a solo exhibition / performance.
My goal in life is to truly live a life aligning with my inner and outer purpose.
