Profile: chiashan Hsu – Real Leather Design Competitions

chiashan Hsu

Shih Chien University

I am a fashion design student with a focus on material experimentation and the translation of conceptual ideas into form. My work explores the relationship between time, memory, and materiality, with a particular interest in how materials evolve through use. Leather serves as a primary medium in my practice, as it naturally records traces of time and interaction. I investigate its irreversible transformations and integrate them into the design process, allowing wear and deformation to become part of the final expression. Rather than emphasizing surface decoration, I focus on structural articulation. Through cutting, folding, and controlled distortion, my designs aim to embody internal logic and emotional tension. I am interested in creating objects that develop a long-term relationship with the user, where time becomes an active element in shaping the outcome. In the future, I hope to continue exploring the space between fashion and art, developing a distinctive design language that responds to contemporary perspectives.

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Time Fold — Compressed Memory

Category: Accessories

Competitions: Taiwan Region

Time is often perceived as a continuous flow, yet in reality, it behaves more like a force of compression. Memories are not simply carried forward—they are folded, layered, and pressed into material existence. This design translates the abstract nature of time into a tangible form through leather, a material that naturally records traces of use. By introducing deliberate cuts and folds, the surface becomes a site of accumulated pressure, where each deformation represents a moment being compressed rather than passed. The folds are not decorative gestures but irreversible transformations. Once formed, they cannot return to their original state—mirroring how time imprints itself permanently onto memory. As the object is used, these folds deepen, and the material evolves, allowing the user to participate in the ongoing shaping of time. Rather than resisting aging, the design embraces it. The bag becomes a living archive, where time is not lost, but physically embedded. Time is not passing — it is being compressed.