PHOTO: GRANDPARENTS
a/c space is the inspired space of a first-generation queer daughter of immigrant parents from Taiwan. It is a specialty clothing line that challenges the white European heritage of American sportswear reimagining it through the prism of Taiwanese culture.
PHOTO: PINEAPPLE FIELDS WHERE MOTHER GREW UP
Founder, Angie Chuang, was influenced by her mother who grew up dreaming of becoming a fashion designer but set aside her aspirations when she knew how much of a financial strain it would place on her family in Jiuqutang, Taiwan.
Photo: Mama Liang as a teenager
Growing up, Chuang was immersed in her mother’s world of fashion magazines and found herself going to flea markets to discover treasures of another time in Union Square with her parents that they adorned their home with. She used to become obsessed with the artisanship and detail of things from the past.
PHOTO: AUNT IN HIGH SCHOOL
Chuang graduated from Parsons School of Design and found her niche in menswear. Her experiences designing at top American fashion houses sparked her passion for craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Chuang is influenced by the authenticity of nature, people and places. It’s the same quality she looks for in materials and design. a/c space only collaborates with aristsans and mills who share this sentiment. For example, the feel of a uniquely blended cotton-wool corduroy made by a Japanese mill founded more than 200 years ago. a/c space only works with manufacturing partners that value and empower their makers and exercise fair practices.