West Garden 29 Fashion Creation Base_Taipei Fashion and Costume Museum Introduction
The "Xiyuan 29 Fashion Creation Base," located in the culturally rich Wanhua district (Mengjia), focuses on nurturing Taiwan's fashion design talent with the concept of trees as its design theme. Once well-known as the Taipei Fashion Culture Hall, this three-story fashion hub now stands as a creative landmark within the surrounding Mengjia fashion district (Dali Fashion District). The entire building features a brick-red exterior, and the overall interior design is centered around the concept of a "tree," aiming to transform into a tree of creativity. It absorbs the historical and cultural landscape of Wanhua, cultivates fashion design talents in Taiwan, and nourishes the Mengjia fashion district. This platform facilitates collaboration between local business owners and resident designers, establishing exemplary design project partnerships to revitalize Taiwan's fashion and design industries, enhance the reputation of Taiwan's brands and design capabilities, and elevate them to the international stage. Collaboration with educational institutions to nurture emerging designers is also one of the primary responsibilities of the Xiyuan 29 Fashion Creation Base. Currently, it is open for reservation tours by students and faculty from relevant university programs, and during the summer, it collaborates with schools on internships, allowing students to engage in the operational management of the base and participate in activities with designers and the Mengjia fashion district, gaining insights into the connections between design and marketing and the overall ecology of Taiwan's ready-to-wear industry. Furthermore, it plans to offer courses analyzing fashion trends and professional exhibitions, bringing in new information for nurturing Taiwan's design talents. Stepping into the first-floor lobby, adorned in pure white tones, aims to create a sensory fashion information space—a stylish stage showcasing the beautiful works of designers. A corner café allows visitors to leisurely enjoy a cup of coffee while admiring fashion pieces full of design sensibility, reading design-related publications, and seeking their own inspiration. For those interested in learning more about the Xiyuan 29 Fashion Creation Base, the cultural and historical development of the Mengjia area, personal profiles of resident designers, their creative styles, or works, engaging videos are available on the first floor. Interactive screens allow visitors to interact with the displayed information using a controller similar to that of a Wii, enhancing their understanding of the designers. The second floor serves as an active workspace for designers, featuring studios that are not open to the public on regular days. This space is a source of creativity, equipped with sample-making facilities and a variety of materials available for free to allow designers to unleash their creativity and showcase their abilities, creating garment pieces that can be deemed as art. Currently, five designers, including Hsu Yu-Chu, Tseng Wei-Hsiang, Kao Sheng-Chung, Lu Hsueh-Cheng, and Shih Yu-Lin, are residents here. Additionally, new designers with potential in international markets will be selected annually. The third floor offers a suitable setting for hosting small fashion shows, exhibitions, and lectures, featuring thick carpets and curtains for soundproofing. To make the space more versatile and lively, tracks are installed in the ceiling to create required areas with movable partitions, designed to resemble the street map of the Mengjia district. The backstage area includes dressing rooms for models. In the future, design-related academic programs are also welcome to rent the space for classes, lectures, or fashion presentations.
