The 29th Golden Melody Awards ceremony was successfully concluded on 23 June, 2018. The unsung heroes behind the success and glamour enjoyed by celebrities’ present were the stylists and costume designers. This year, hosts for the walk of fame segment Lulu and Dennis, as well as the nominee for best Taiwanese female vocalist Chang Hanya collaborated with renowned Taiwanese stylists Lin Yu-heng and Serena Huang, as well as four other outstanding stylists. Lin personally designed the looks for Lulu and Dennis, while Serena helped Chang with her styling; since Lulu has aboriginal blood in her veins, she has specifically chosen to wear a Bunun-totem skirt from the radical aboriginal designer Sabra Andre, consisted of the colors yellow, black and white – coincide perfectly with the visual-color theme of this year’s GMA. Lulu also designed her own short top, explained with a smile that this way she won’t have to worry about wearing the same shirt as others; Dennis’ outfit was created by designer Chen Pai Cheng, with “lakeside fairyland” as the conceptual inspiration, utilizing the appropriate fabric to create the fairytale-like atmosphere of a lake reflecting the surrounding scenery, binding the onlooker into a dream-like trance, symbolizing GMA as the Holy Grail of all Mandarin pop singers. Dennis expressed his joy in working with Chen, since in the past he would always be dressed in the conservative color spectrum such as black and blue, instead of the breakout fluorescent yellow this time; Stylist Serena selected the works of designers Chen Chin and Sophia Wu, and have them tailor made Chang a high-waist long gown and a mini dress, attempting to convey her presence as the winner while capturing her cutesy side at the same time; Chang was grateful for the effort her stylist and two designers put in, stating that their designs fit the oriental body type perfectly, and that she was particularly tempted to purchase their work for her own collection after this collaboration.
This is the third time Lulu has hosted the walk of fame segment, and she had wished to welcome the nominees in a more casual manner. Consequently she hand-made her own GMA diamond encrusted shirt, labeled with the words “Have Fun”; Sabra Andre believed that the custom and cultures of Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes possesses a unique character, and he hoped that this is one advantage that Taiwanese designers can grasp, in order to build a radical glocal brand; For the design concept for Lulu’s skirt this year, Sabra attempted to interpret the Bunun legend of a hunter shooting the sun in an abstract manner with geometric shapes and lines; Sabra took inspiration for his design elements from the tribe’s totems, and radically reinterpret them, which received universal critical acclaim. From Jolin, Li Yasha, to Lee Chien-na, they have all at one point or another made public appearances wearing his designs; Chen Pai-cheng, who designed Dennis’outfit for the night, is known for his sharp image designs that creates a dream-like effect for the audience. Incorporating multi-layered and a three-dimensional cut, Chen is frequently invited to international fashion week events, and is definitely one of the new talents to watch in the industry.
The outfits Stylist Serena Huang picked for Chang Hanya came from the works of designers Chen Chin and Sophia Wu; Chen Chin designed the hand-made high waist long gown, with double layers of black yarn for the upper torso, hand-stitched patterns and matching color sequins, presenting the alluringly half-hidden curves of the female upper body, with the eye-catching deep undercut in the back. The lower part of the gown was made from satin, with a black ink-painting style print design. The fabric was blonde, with a slightly glossy finish, decorated with irregular lines and patterns, exhibit a sense of class and passion; for the ceremony, in consideration of the fact that a long gown might be uncomfortable for the pregnant Chang to wear for extended periods, Sophia Wu’s design for a mini dress was chosen for the occasion. The sleeveless and dress collar design exhibit many careful considerations, such as the formality conveyed by the collar, and the visually less-restrictive sleeveless design, while the tubular cut extends the lines visually, highlights Chang’s personality and her cutesy side.
