Fab 40: Ying Gao Fashion, Montreal

By Jack Moss
last updated

Fashion designer and university professor Ying Gao decided while she was completing a master’s in Interactive media that she had enough of being told 'designing is pointless.'

'To work in the fashion industry, all you seemed to need to know was how to copy. I pondered a great deal on the role of the fashion designer, and I wanted to do what a designer was supposed to do – to create and innovate,' she says.

Gao has since taken to perfecting a precise yet almost Lilliputian design style through the concept of 'modulatable' clothing, designing pieces that invisibly integrate microelectronic technology with fashion design. Technology is just as much a source of inspiration as Montreal – 'I love this city' muses Gao.

It seems the city feels the same way about her, with the mayor of Montreal having awarded her the Phyllis-Lambert Design Montreal grant earlier this year. Gao’s latest offering is ‘post-vernissage’, a limited edition collection of conceptual garments made with fine materials and featuring the subtle ‘modulatable’ characteristics that are bound to be Gao’s trademark for years to come.

www.post-vernissage.com

The Bombardier Learjet

Read the article: Bombardier Learjet

The Bombardier Learjet

(Image credit: TBC)

Interior of the Bombardier Learjet

(Image credit: TBC)

Interior of the Learjet

The Bombardier Learjet

(Image credit: TBC)

The Staircase House by Cindy Rendely, Toronto

Read the article: Cindy Rendely

The Staircase House by Cindy Rendely, Toronto


(Image credit: TBC)

The Staircase House by Cindy Rendely, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

The Staircase House by Cindy Rendely, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

The Staircase House by Cindy Rendely, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

The Staircase House by Cindy Rendely, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Coast restaurant, Vancouver


Read the article: Coast restaurant

Bar area of The Coast restaurant in Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

dining table set up at the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining Room and bar of the Coast restaurant, Vancouver taken from above

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining room at the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Lounge area of the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining room area of the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

lounge area of the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

dining table with shell curtains at the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining room at the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining room at the Coast restaurant, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Supernova by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Supernova by Douglas Coupland
Read the article: Douglas Coupland's art

Talking sticks by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Talking sticks by Douglas Coupland

Penguin Pretty Vacant by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Penguin Pretty Vacant by Douglas Coupland

Coyote by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Coyote by Douglas Coupland

Patricide by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Patricide by Douglas Coupland

Penguin Cumshot by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Penguin Cumshot by Douglas Coupland

Penguin Clash by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Penguin Clash by Douglas Coupland

Matricide Silver Skate by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Matricide Silver Skate by Douglas Coupland

Matricide Beer by Douglas Coupland

(Image credit: TBC)

Matricide Beer by Douglas Coupland

Drip Maple Syrup

Read the article: Drip Maple Syrup

Drip Maple Syrup

(Image credit: TBC)

Drip Maple Syrup

(Image credit: TBC)

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

Read the article: Form & Forest

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Form & Forest by D'Arcy Jones Design

(Image credit: TBC)

The Keefer Hotel, Vancouver

Read the article: Keefer Hotel

The Keefer Hotel, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Bedroom in The Keefer Hotel, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

bottles of spirits on a bar shelf at The Keefer Hotel, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

sofa and wooden table with large vase in The Keefer Hotel, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Bean bag chair and table by the pool at The Keefer Hotel, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Stack of vintage suitcases against a wall

(Image credit: TBC)

Laneway House, Toronto, by Kohn Shnier architects

Read the article: Kohn Shnier, Toronto

Open plan living room, dining room and kitchen at Laneway House, Toronto, by Kohn Shnier architects

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Laneway House, Toronto, by Kohn Shnier architects Read the article: Kohn Shnier, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Laneway House, Toronto, by Kohn Shnier architects Read the article: Kohn Shnier, Toronto at night

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Laneway House, Toronto, by Kohn Shnier architects

(Image credit: TBC)

Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

Read the article: Vancouver Winter Olympic architecture

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Interior gym space of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Interior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design at night

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design at night

(Image credit: TBC)

Ice rink of the Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Stairs and ceiling of the Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design at night

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Richmond Olympic Oval by Cannon Design

(Image credit: TBC)

Territory table and chairs by Samare Design, Montreal

(Image credit: TBC)

Territory table and chairs by Samare Design, Montreal

Read the article: Samare design, Montreal

Territory lounger by Samare design

(Image credit: TBC)

Territory lounger by Samare design

Territory desk and chair by Samare design

(Image credit: TBC)

Territory desk and chair by Samare design

R-Mountie bench and throw by Samare design

(Image credit: TBC)

R-Mountie bench and throw by Samare design

Still House by Level Design, Vancouver

Read the article: Level Design, Vancouver

Still House by Level Design, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Still House by Level Design, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

exterior of Still House by Level Design, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Interior view to outside at the Still House by Level Design, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

Read the article: Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

Bedroom in the Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Bedroom in Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto at night

(Image credit: TBC)

Sunset Cabin by Taylor_Smyth Architects, Toronto

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior of 40R_Laneway House by Süperkul, Toronto at night

(Image credit: TBC)

40R_Laneway House by Süperkul, Toronto

Read the article: Süperkul, Toronto

SHIFT Cottage by Süperkul

(Image credit: TBC)

The Trans Canada Trail

Read the article: Trans Canada trail

The Trans Canada Trail

(Image credit: TBC)

The Trans Canada Trail

(Image credit: TBC)

WANT luggage

WANT luggage, Montreal

Nylon Haneda by WANT luggage

(Image credit: TBC)

Nylon Haneda by WANT luggage

Newberry White by WANT luggage

(Image credit: TBC)

Nylon Haneda by WANT luggage

(Image credit: TBC)

Dumont black by WANT luggage

(Image credit: TBC)

Carl Phare's wooden rollercoaster, designed in 1958, Vancouver

Read the article: Wooden rollercoaster

Carl Phare's wooden rollercoaster, designed in 1958, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Carl Phare's wooden rollercoaster, designed in 1958, Vancouver

(Image credit: TBC)

Fashion by Ying Gao

Read the article: Ying Gao, Montreal

Fashion by Ying Gao

(Image credit: TBC)

Fashion by Ying Gao

(Image credit: TBC)

Fashion by Ying Gao

(Image credit: TBC)
Jack Moss
Fashion Features Editor

Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.

Latest