Meet Wenjue and Chufeng Lu and Michael |

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wenjue and Chufeng Lu and Michael and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wenjue and Chufeng, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
With a deep-rooted desire for change, together, me(Wenjue Lu) and my partner, Chufeng Fang, initiated the Studio Wenjüe Lu in response to the wastefulness and unethical practices prevalent in the fashion industry as well as to the commercialization of creativity, elitism, and the prioritization of profit over artistic integrity in the world of art. An open invitation from us to the world to slow down the world through artistic expression.

At the core of Studio Wenjüe Lu’s ethos is the concept of “Slowness”, which challenges the fast-paced, disposable nature of modern consumerism by infusing intention and meaning into every creation. Rejecting the transient nature of trends, the studio emphasizes longevity, sustainability, and communal individuality. Our philosophy is deeply influenced by Taoist principles, emphasizing harmony, balance, and the interconnectedness of all things.

Studio Wenjüe Lu is a reaction against the breakneck speed of contemporary society. Lulu’s background in fashion design has provided a unique perspective in conjunction with Michael’s background in media and cultural studies. Driven by unnamable urges, we try to deconstruct the notion of fashion as a fleeting trend. In our own words: “We do not practice fashion, we wish to separate garment from its current mode of definition, to distinguish between art and commodity, to inject a sense of slowness in an ever-accelerating world. We make one collection a year. From every beginning of January, to its corresponding end in December, together each piece born in between becomes the collection. We do not try to predict trends; we take all the time we need to realize each work of art; we try to move continuously with the passing time and truth; an eternal companionship between garment and body actualized.” The studio seeks to dismantle the constructs of transient fashion by emphasizing craftsmanship and individuality over conformity. Beyond fashion, there is art, and beyond art, a certain slowness.
At the core of Studio Wenjüe Lu’s ethos is the concept of “Slowness”, which challenges the fast-paced, disposable nature of modern consumerism by infusing intention and meaning into every creation. Rejecting the transient nature of trends, the studio emphasizes longevity, sustainability, and communal individuality. our philosophy is deeply influenced by Taoist principles, emphasizing harmony, balance, and the interconnectedness of all things.

Studio Wenjüe Lu is a reaction against the breakneck speed of contemporary society. Lulu’s background in fashion design has provided a unique perspective in conjunction with Michael’s background in media and cultural studies. Driven by unnamable urges, we try to deconstruct the notion of fashion as a fleeting trend. In our own words: “We do not practice fashion, we wish to separate garment from its current mode of definition, to distinguish between art and commodity, to inject a sense of slowness in an ever-accelerating world. We make one collection a year. From every beginning of January, to its corresponding end in December, together each piece born in between becomes the collection. We do not try to predict trends; we take all the time we need to realize each work of art; we try to move continuously with the passing time and truth; an eternal companionship between garment and body actualized.” The studio seeks to dismantle the constructs of transient fashion by emphasizing craftsmanship and individuality over conformity. Beyond fashion, there is art, and beyond art, a certain slowness.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Studio Wenjüe Lu is a multi-disciplinary venture co-founded by Lulu(Wenjue Lu) and Michael(Chufeng Fang) in 2020. The studio emerged as a response to the relentless pace of modern life, seeking to infuse a sense of “slowness” and authenticity into the creative realm.

The works produced through our bodies are a result of letting go. We’re repelled by a vision: A giant, constantly spinning wheel that we called world, fueled by lives strolling through a linear production of history, obsessed with acceleration and accumulation. Kaleidoscopic madnesses. As two human beings, like everyone else, we are inevitably governed by this unbearable thing called ego, so unbearable it dissolves all the desire for us to work as one entity, but to work as none: the bodies as the vehicle and minds as the filter, we lend ourselves to poetry and dreamscapes, we work to carve out a space of Tao, where “Heaven’s Will and Human Affairs Are One”(天人合一). This alternative world, in which human is no longer at the center, also possess the mundane, the fragmentary, and a newfound slowness. This world can, at the same time but not all at once, be hopeful, dreadful, dreamy, haunting, mesmerizing, bleak, deceitful, or sobering

As the world undergoes rapid urbanization and shifting notions of beauty, Studio Wenjüe Lu endeavors to translate these stories of resilience into contemporary creations that disrupt conventions, and echo a connection to history and culture, subverting notions of commercialized perfection for a celebration of uniqueness and vitality. This ethos extends beyond aesthetics—it embraces imperfections as inherent beauty, rendering our garments not just as clothing but as vessels of narrative, human spirit, and heritage. In a realm where overproduction and materialism thrive, Studio Wenjüe Lu’s work serves as an ode to the unfiltered, genuine, and timeless expressions of human creativity and folk craftsmanship.

In Studio Wenjüe Lu’s artistic lexicon, the choice of exclusively natural-colored fibers for our annual garment collection transcends the definition of color itself; it emerges as a profound language—a potent communicator of multifaceted narratives. This selection of unbleached, undyed materials, such as cotton, silk, and linen, encapsulates more than hue—it embodies naturalness, a quality that operates as a vehicle of nuanced expression. This language serves as a dialectic bridge, oscillating between the realms of Taoist harmony, where the touch of chemical-free, off-white cotton interfaces with human skin in its purest form, and an alternate perspective, one that confronts the superficiality of a world awash in synthetic hues—a commentary on the illusion of prosperity. This dichotomy—a stark contrast between absolutes—represents a voyage through the boundless expanse of this infinite “Neither Space” between 1 and 0, A and B, Ying and Yang, within where dualities and oppositions intertwine and converge. Within this language lies a deeper dimension—a reflection of Studio Wenjüe Lu’s intricate journey: the displacement and entanglement rising from the complex identities of the two co-founders of the studio as two Chinese in New York City, but still nowhere feels like home; an alternative, metaphysical dimension, therefore, demanded its existence between the two and the rest of the universe, a metaphysical plane that defies traditional boundaries, an alternative existence nestled in the space between, offering solace and resonance to all who traverse it.

Studio Wenjüe Lu envisions a future where their art transcends boundaries, fostering connections and conversations across diverse communities. With a commitment to community engagement through workshops and gatherings, the studio is actively shaping a space where creativity flourishes and meaningful dialogues thrive.

Studio Wenjüe Lu’s innovative fusion of art, fashion, and philosophy is a testament to the power of thoughtful expression in a world racing towards progress. Through their creations, they invite viewers to step into a world of “neither,” where the duality of concepts dissolves, leaving room for new interpretations, connections, and transformative experiences.

Deep inside the space of “NEITHER”, you would find one of the qualities of “Slowness” – “Neitherness”: The tendency to escape a singular definition, natural or man-made, earthly or cosmic, the eradication of “Eitherness”. The act of defining “Neitherness” is a betrayal of “Neitherness” itself.

“NEITHER” is a disruptive stance we take against a world overly obsessed with labeling and hashtagging, it’s an unbounded realm for creativity we hope to carve out in this world alongside like-minded creatives. “NEITHER” represents the unstable, untouchable, undefinable energies that permeate the Wenjüe Lu Universe. “NEITHER” is our distress signal to all “Neitherers” roaming in this world, haunted by the gravity of accumulated possessions and unchecked power, unwilling to be defined yet incapable of defying.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Find art to feed the mind: Getty, Broad, Hollyhock House, Eames House

Food to nourish the soul: Cafe de Mama, Melo Melo, Another Broken Egg, Tripp, Destroyer

Hit the beach, climb a hill, drive to Joshua Tree

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We wish to dedicate our shoutout to the Dong women of Eastern Guizhou, Western Hunan, and Northern Guangxi, China. These indigenous artisans have upheld a lineage of fabric-weaving that transcends mere functionality, embodying a living tradition woven into the fabric of life itself.

Website: wenjuelu.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wenjuelu/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wenj%C3%BCe-lu/

Image Credits
Yanran Xiong, Stefy Lin, Courtesy of Studio Wenjüe Lu