PLEASE GOD DON’T LET ME BE NORMAL - A GATA INTERVIEW WITH JENNY FAX
GATA had the chance to interview Jen Fang, the creative behind Jenny Fax in her office in Tokyo. We talked about first love at Mc Donalds, believing in Ghosts and her favourite Taiwanese movies. The brand is known for its melancholic lolitaesque vibe, reinforced by the it’s Instagram, which is the mood board of every cute girl. Jen Fang is often in the background of the brand, but her energy reflects the Jenny Fax girl. Sweet, but skeptic. Lost, but not lost at all.
Hi Jen, thank you so much for doing an interview with us. Both GATA and Jenny Fax are based Tokyo and I believe share a lot of the same niche audience.
GATA: First of all, how did you end up in Tokyo?
JEN: I married a Japanese guy.
GATA: What adjectives would you describe Jenny Fax with?
JEN: I struggle inside. I desperately want to be special, but I am also shy. I want to challenge myself, but I also want to stay in the gray zone. Cute but mean, sexy but curved, conservative but not afraid to lose anything.
GATA: What does the name mean?
JEN: A lot of friends called me Jenny instead of Jen Fang. I love the fax machine that still exists nowadays . Analog but in the future too. Also love the sound of Jennyfax, sounds like river phoenix.
GATA: Give us a glimpse of your childhood in Taiwan.
JEN: Including me, we are 4 children in total. I couldn’t always have the clothes I wanted.
I felt like Taipei is a bit of a lonely city, but in a way very comfortable too .
I love cheap steak from Taiwan , and I love A-1 Sauce. We watched so many HK Horror movies. Even now I still have HK horror movie night with my sis sometimes.
GATA: Did you go to boarding school? Did you wear a uniform?
JEN: Yes, I was in a Christian girl boarding school when I was 12 years for 3 years. Yes, we had to wear a very ugly uniform and we attend a lot of bible lessons and pray and listen to the bible story.
You went to the Belgian Fashion School L’ecole de Cambre, how was the formation there?
I was a very very bad student at that time, I hated school a lot. I was very in love with my boyfriend at that time. I wanted to stay with him 24 hours. He really wanted me to concentrate on studying too. But I just couldn’t. Almost every day I pretended that I went to school, but I usually would just see the door of school and return home without entering school. I did that nearly for 2 years.
Now I believe there are good teachers there , because some of my former classmates are doing well in the fashion industry .
GATA: What are some of your favorite Taiwanese movies?
JEN: A City of Sadness. Mahjong. Rebels of the Neon God. These are my favorite Taiwanese Movies.
GATA: Horror?
The Haunted Cop Shop 2. HK has the best Horror movies.
GATA: What is a memory of your first love that you can share?
JEN: It's a very distant memory, I remember we had a date at McDonald's …
GATA: Do you believe in Ghosts?
JEN: Yes of course, but I prefer that they live in their world and I live in mine. I don't want to interrupt .
GATA: You have previously said that you design for the girl in between, not the super beautiful ones, and not those with obvious flaws, the ones in the background; the gray area…
JEN: I think the gray area girls are under more pressure and need more courage to break out of their shell. Sometimes seemingly ordinary things are more complicated.
GATA: We heard you received fan mail wishing you happiness. Tell us about this. Reminds me of a sad pop star reading her fan mail.
JEN: I love that in the old days, people sent you handmade cards or small objects. It’s super sweet.
Haha yes, someone wished me happiness, I also once received a message from a fan, telling me that I should go the hospital to get help …
GATA: I love the curation of your IG. It truly is the best brand Instagram, because you curate a world. Are you the admin?
JEN: Let's keep this a secret.
GATA: What other channels are you on to find references? Do you prefer to do reference research in analog ways or online?
JEN: I think I watch a lot of old movies ,(old i mean like 90s) or TV dramas ,documentaries ,reality shows. I think this is a very interesting way to find the style for Jennyfax's character. Of course, I sometimes do research online.
GATA: Which dead person would you like to dress?
JEN: None.
GATA: Outside of your office and beside your home, where do you like to hang out in Tokyo?
JEN: Even though I don't live in the Nakano district, I still go there maybe 2-3 times per month .
I also love Tokyu Hands, I often hang out there to see the stationery .
GATA: You are married to Mikio Sakabe and work alongside each other with your independent brands. Tell us about your creative collaboration. I am interested in the dynamics / symbiosis of your relationship as artists in love.
JEN: Artists in love? I am not sure if he sees me as an artist. Well, Mikiosakabe is mainly about him, I just support and manage the office work.
Regarding Jennyfax, I often ask him what he thinks, but in the end, I don’t take his opinion ...
I think it's a good competition, when you feel lost there's someone there for you to give you a second opinion…Or remind you of what you have ...
INTERVIEW BY ANDREA RIANO