Senior Julie Wu discusses her passion for art

Manasa Premanand, Features Editor

It is a Sunday morning. Senior Julie Wu wakes up, struck with sudden inspiration for her newest work. Barefoot, the edges of her face still tinged with sleep, she runs to her garage, picking up a pair of sleek, black leather boots along the way. She grabs some of the leftover white paint that was used to paint her walls and sprays layers of frost-like ripples onto her boots. Only after having finished this task does she sit down, finally noticing that she is barefoot and in her pajamas. Bouts of creativity always come to her like this, whether it be through revamping her clothing and accessories or creating new pieces of art. 

“I just randomly did it because I thought the black one looked boring and outdated, but I still wanted to wear it,” Wu said. “So, I found a way to recreate it.”

Wu’s love for clothing and design stems from her experience experimenting with her style in her childhood. She would stand in front of her mirror in the mornings, critiquing her outfits before switching them to match her ever-changing tastes. 

“I would change five times in the morning just to pick the right [set of clothing]. My mom would be mad at me because we were going to be late,” Wu said. “But, sometimes, she would buy me [new] clothes and would take me shopping with her. I think that helped me see a wide range of clothes when I was little.”

Wu’s inspirations often come in sudden bouts.

Photos courtesy of Julie Wu

As Wu grew older, she gradually began to drift away from art, feeling that the art classes available were too arduous, and with the increased load of schoolwork and extracurriculars she had, she simply could not find enough time to devote to art. She only rekindled her interest in art and more specifically fashion in her sophomore year of high school, after she moved from Beijing to Johns Creek and decided to explore art a bit more. 

Wu became enamored with art because of its imperfect beauty, and the appeal behind the simplicity of artwork captivated her.

“I think, what art really means [is], the more I did it, the more I realized the beauty in the common mind and the concept of that,” Wu said. 

Much of Wu’s artwork conveys messages about society or valuable lessons she has learned throughout her lifetime. One of these projects was a pair of two-way shoes, which could be worn from either end. On one end was the pointed tip, which rested on a flat surface, and on the other was the inclined surface of the heels. Most viewers consider the flat side the front of the shoe because it is more comfortable to wear and fits easily, while the inclined side is usually considered the edge. 

“The flat side, because it’s flat and helps you walk more comfortably, resembles walking in a common direction that most people do, like going to work, getting married, and having children,” Wu said. “But then if you take the other side, treating the heel part as the head, then it [the shoe] acts as a high heel. It means you’re taking a road not many people would choose...and it’s hard in that way since you don’t have the support you need to walk.”

When it comes to expressing herself through art, Wu prefers creating more hands-on, three-dimensional pieces, rather than traditional art. Due to her long-lasting love for clothing, she has decided to pursue a career in the fashion industry and was accepted to Parsons School of Design, a prestigious fashion school in New York.

Wu hopes that attending Parsons will enable her to grasp valuable skills and connections with those in the fashion industry and bring her a step closer to achieving her lifelong dream of being a renowned fashion designer, much like her current role model in the fashion industry: John Galliano. Seeing his work and impact in the fashion world inspires Wu to pursue a future similar to his.

“The show [Galliano] created for Dior in the ‘90s, which was a sense of Chinese and Japanese culture- it’s just so great,” Wu said. “I don’t have words to put it in but it’s just amazing.” 

Although Wu still has a ways to go before she can reach the levels of her idols’ like Galliano, she has envisioned goals that will help in working towards her aspirations in the fashion industry, bringing along a fervent passion for art to fuel them. Whether that be starting a sensational clothing brand or becoming a renowned fashion designer, Wu wants her hard work and effort during her journey in fashion to become her legacy. 

“If I’ve made a reputation [in the fashion industry], I want more people to know me. I hope that they’ll know chasing a dream is worth it- it’s doable and achievable,” Wu said. “Though some of your goals are far away, even a girl like me was able to achieve things in the fashion industry.”