Bryan Bo: The Young Costume Designer Who Dabbles in Sublimation and Sustainability
At just 24 years old, this Chilean costume designer is disrupting the fashion industry, generating a creative impact on the industry and the environment.
For Bryan Bo, fashion is immersed in an unfavorable trend, marked by waste and fast fashion. That is why he began to change his gaze as a creator and focused on a sustainable perspective that acts to balance the use of natural and human resources, supported by the technique of sublimation, which has transformed his way of conceptualizing, designing and creating his collections.
“Rather than addressing sustainable textiles, I’m heading more towards zero waste, and how not to waste so much material when making, cutting and that everything left over, is reused for other things, such as bags, accessories or other creation that can be generated with the waste”Bryan says. This approach led him to stand out in 2023 at the Fashion Alive Zero Waste in Madrid.
In addition to sustainability, technology is a fundamental part of Bryan’s creative process, who says that with sublimation he enters a totally new world, where ideas flow and the design process begins.
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“I find that the work is much easier because you don’t have to go looking for the right textile, since normally in Chile the fabric market is scarce,” she points out.
His attractive proposal caught the attention of Epson, a company that invited him to present its sublimation collection at the Fashion Meet 2024 catwalk, which the Japanese brand will hold in Santiago on March 21.
“It’s the first time I’ve worked with sublimation and it’s been a huge challenge, because you have to design everything in a conceptual composition, then print it and finally create a garment. For the Epson show, my work is being created with this technology,” Bryan explains.
The designer adds that working with sublimation has been much easier on a creative level, because normally those who are just starting out in this industry do not have the means, both to get quality textiles, or cutting-edge technology.
“With sublimation you enter a totally new world where you come up with an idea that you then start designing, you compose it and that’s it; In addition, the work is simpler and more optimal, because you don’t have to go blocks and blocks for a textile of your liking, since this limits a lot when creating. On the other hand, with sublimation you can flow much faster and create much more novel and unique things,” reflects the designer from Santiago.
For Bryan, the conjunction between fashion and technology is new, but he is convinced that it is a future language for the industry. “If we don’t occupy it, we’ll be left behind and that can’t be, because the idea is that our work can be shown and adapted to the current times and those to come. Thanks to technology, you can visualize certain things that you don’t usually do.”
Butterflies: Bryan Bo’s inspiration for the Fashion Meet 2024 by Epson
“I drew on the butterfly ecosystem, because to me they are a statement of transformation. The collection has a common thread with black and white, all the way to the accents of many colors, so I captured the transformation in this collection,” explains Bryan.
The Fashion Meet 2024 by Epson seeks to give visibility to designers who have an innovative, different and avant-garde offer, which is why the collection to be presented by Bryan has challenged him to experiment in this type of textile printing technologies. Bryan fits this mostly in the distinctive point of view, as sublimation is notable for its emphasis on customization and much of the use of color, which is very much in tune with his concept of butterflies.
“Since I started working in sublimation I can’t give it up, the process is much faster, more comfortable and innovative. From today on I’m going to sublimate many of the garments that we as a brand launch for sale. It’s hard to go back to the traditional with this new look,” says Bryan.
The designer also highlights that during sublimation there is no water in the process, applying materials and technologies that come close to the goal of protecting natural and human resources.
With Epson equipment, an ecological production is achieved that uses digital printing with 0% water, which ends in a product with image and color in a high quality definition, in addition some of the fabrics used in the collection are eco-recycled, therefore, a virtuous circle is closed, which is part of the seal of the work Bryan’s zero waste .
It should be noted that the collection that Bryan will present will be 100% masculine. “I love that men want to care much more, that they show themselves in a more versatile way, that they want to express a personal image when dressing. There are surveys that indicate that by 2025 men’s fashion will catch up with women’s fashion in terms of sales. That’s also where my interest in the masculine, the avant-garde, comes from, that men feel comfortable, but at the same time different, creating an identity that adopts a firm statement of innovation and sublimation facilitates this,” concludes the designer.