Sohu Fashion Interviews Jessica

Sohu Fashion: Hey, Jessica. First let’s say hello to all of our Sohu Fashion friends.

Jessica: Hello friends of Sohu Fashion, I’m Jessica.

Sohu Fashion: Is this your first time in Shanghai? What do you think of this city?

Jessica: I’ve been to Shanghai before, but last time I didn’t have the opportunity to walk and look around. This time, I did have the opportunity to explore, and I love this city—I love the food, the buildings, the historical structures: they’re all so amazing. I’d like to come to Shanghai more often if possible.

Sohu Fashion: I’ve heard that you’ve always been supporting children’s charities. Could you talk to us more about it?

Jessica: Supporting children’s charities has always had an important place in my heart; I love to give back. I’ve invested a lot of energy toward BLANC & ECLARE and UNICEF. I just hope that we can do something useful in this life.

Sohu Fashion: Let’s talk about your brand, BLANC & ECLARE. How did you decide to transition from being a singer to a fashion designer?

Jessica: I think being a fashion designer has always been my dream. I always find myself enjoying reworking my own clothes during the weekends, and I’ve always dreamed of one day making my own designs. That being said, I haven’t given up being a singer. Singing is still very interesting to me.

Sohu Fashion: What’s the story behind this brand name?

Jessica: Coming up with this brand name and logo took a long time. We looked up various languages, roots, and definitions to come up with ‘BLANC & ECLARE’.

Sohu Fashion: What’s this brand’s position (translator’s note: i.e. future direction) and style like?

Jessica: We want BLANC & ECLARE to be eternal, because our style is classic, yet detailed, and simple yet elegant fashion.

Sohu Fashion: As a budding fashion designer, what kind of style do you usually dress in?

Jessica: I don’t think I drastically changed my style of dress. I like to dress to match the occasion. Just because I’m a fashion designer doesn’t mean that I would wear my own designs.

Sohu Fashion: Could you recommend to everyone some of this year’s most popular sunglasses?

Jessica: We designed sunglasses for different tastes and styles. I think we’re about to launch, in the next few quarters, refreshing new colors and designs. My heart is exuberant. What I’m really proud of is that our first classic designs had a good response—you know, both men and women can wear these three designs. They sold especially well in Seoul, New York, and Hong Kong.

Sohu Fashion: Do you have a designer you admire greatly?

Jessica: Yes, the famed Yves Saint Laurent. His love for design and aesthetics teach me a lot, and concerning other up-and-coming designers, he’s an inspiration to everyone.

Sohu Fashion: Crossing from singer to designer—what do you think there are the advantages and disadvantages?

Jessica: I haven’t decided to leave music right away. That is to say, I think music and fashion have a lot of similarities. They both require attention to detail, attention to originality, and attention to the audience. I’ve learned a lot of things from music that have helped me with the complex aspects of fashion.

Sohu Fashion: Can we ask, if you were again faced with setbacks or unexpected situations, how would you deal with them?

Jessica: Difficulties and setbacks are unavoidable; they’re a part of life. Learning and growing from them are what are most important to me—how to turn sadness into happiness, or frustration into motivation.