TAIWANIZE – Taiwanese Cultural Apparel & Wearable Taiwan Design

Celebrate Taiwan through what you wear.

TAIWANIZE – Taiwanese Cultural Apparel & Wearable Taiwan Design

Celebrate Taiwan through what you wear.

Taiwan is rich in culture—but too often, the world doesn’t hear about it.

We’d like to change that.

We were born in Taiwan, an island known for its cultural diversity and vibrant languages. Yet local aesthetics are often overshadowed by dominant global beauty standards.

The name "TAIWANIZE" blends "Taiwan" with the verb-making suffix "-ize"—a word that suggests transformation. But what changes isn’t just the clothing—it’s how the person wearing it feels. To be TAIWANIZED is to wear Taiwanese culture with a sense of connection and renewed appreciation.

Through clothing, we invite you to rediscover everyday beauty often taken for granted—like:
• the colorful ceramic figures on temple rooftops
• steaming xiaolongbao at street stalls
• Sword Lions in Tainan—lion-faced guardians biting swords to keep bad luck away
• or hand-painted calligraphy signs outside local shops.

They’re not just things to look at—they’re stories you can wear.

A moment that changed everything

TAIWANIZE was born from a trip to Tainan.

While still a university student, our founder Chiu was assigned to accompany an American art professor and students on a cultural visit to his hometown. As the professor snapped photos of ornate temple eaves and colorful wood carvings, Chiu saw them anew—things he'd grown up with but never truly paused to admire.

That moment hit hard. He realized Taiwan was filled with beauty—quiet, overlooked, and waiting to be rediscovered. That seed of wonder would later become the beginning of TAIWANIZE.

Two founders who shared one vision

Chiu later shared this mission with Rick, who called the idea bold and too meaningful to put off.
"If we don’t start now," he said, "we’ll lose this passion to the realities of life."

That was the first step.

Chiu brought a background in art and theater design—skilled in visual storytelling and cultural translation. Rick came from law and administration—focused on operations and strategy. Together, they built the brand from scratch: one focused on design, the other on growth and outreach.

From creative markets to retail stores, from roadside stalls to department shop counters, from our first shirt sold face-to-face to orders shipped across 24 countries—every step is part of our journey.

The sweat and sunlight of Red House earned our first spotlight

In our early days, we repeatedly failed to enter the Red House Creative Market—an official, juried event run by Taipei's Department of Cultural Affairs. It wasn’t easy to get in.

After months of trying, we finally made it.

In the scorching summer of 2014, the two of us hauled 13 boxes of clothing out of a car and set up our first booth. For the first time, we handed designs with a distinctly Taiwanese soul—our TAIWANIZE pieces—directly into customers’ hands.

Some stopped for the graphics, some smiled as they tried on shirts. In those reactions, we saw our ideas come alive. That experience became the reason we kept going.

Later, we faced a turning point: whether to risk renting a high-traffic, high-rent first-floor store in Ximending—a popular shopping and youth culture district in central Taipei—or settle for a quieter, cheaper fourth-floor space. We chose visibility over comfort.

Better to be seen and take the risk than save costs and stay invisible. That leap let more people discover TAIWANIZE on the street.

"Tai" shouldn't be a negative label

In Taiwan, "Tai" (a shorthand for "Taiwan") is sometimes used to mean something tacky or outdated.
We reject that.

To us, it’s full of everyday beauty worth celebrating.

At TAIWANIZE, we don’t just stick motifs onto T-shirts. We reinterpret their meaning. We retell their story using a contemporary visual language—so whoever wears it can say:
This feels like me. This culture speaks to something I care about.

From bubble tea cups in every hand to dragon carvings on temple rooftops,
We turn everyday scenes from Taiwan into streetwear that invites cultural connection and curiosity.

When a T-shirt sparked something more

A Dutch couple met in Europe—one wore our shirt featuring Tudigong, Taiwan’s Earth God.
The other, a local-born Taiwanese-Dutch, noticed and struck up a conversation.
Their shared recognition of Taiwan sparked a relationship, then a marriage.

Years later, they visited our store in Taipei, still holding onto the shirt that brought them together.

We never imagined a T-shirt could create moments like that.
But it did—and still does.

We’ve never sat out equality—and never plan to

As one of Asia’s most progressive democracies, Taiwan allows room for cultural and gender diversity to thrive.
For us, equality has never been a marketing trend—it’s part of the brand’s DNA.

Since 2018, we've independently organized the Taipei Rainbow Festival for six editions (with one year paused due to the pandemic).
These aren't just events; they're how we put values into practice.

From rainbow-themed collections to NGO collaborations, we turn awareness into action—and stand proudly beside the communities we serve.

Sharing Taiwan through design

Taiwan may be a small, mountainous island, but it’s rich in culture and daily beauty.
It shaped us—and continues to inspire TAIWANIZE.

In the past decade, we’ve grown from weekend markets to malls, from a small local brand to an international name.
And we’ve never stopped believing:
"Taiwanese culture can be full of style."

Every returning customer, every person proud to wear our designs—that’s what keeps us going.

We’re also eager to collaborate.
Whether you're curating an exhibition, launching a creative project, or planning a cultural crossover—
If you believe in telling Taiwan's story, we want to hear from you.

We don’t just design clothes.
Through design, we offer a glimpse into Taiwan—and invite you to explore it with us.

Why Choose TAIWANIZE?

TAIWANIZE chooses clothing as a way to bring Taiwanese culture into everyday life.

Founded in Taipei in 2012, TAIWANIZE has always used apparel to translate lived experiences and cultural memories from Taiwan into ready-to-wear clothing meant for daily life. To us, design is not only about how something looks, but whether it can naturally fit into everyday routines and be worn over time.

Each TAIWANIZE piece is developed with the involvement of young designers based in Taiwan and refined through a long process of design and adjustment. Our collections evolve with seasonal fashion trends and changing ways of dressing, allowing each design to stay connected to the present while remaining true to the brand’s core spirit.

Beyond aesthetics, we care deeply about how a garment feels—the fabric, the proportions, and the comfort once it’s worn. We believe that only clothing that feels good to wear can truly accompany someone’s daily life, and allow culture to remain present over time.

Because of this approach, TAIWANIZE is often seen as a Taiwan-based design brand inspired by local culture, without leaning toward mass-produced or stereotypical souvenir items. Our pieces can certainly be chosen as meaningful souvenirs from Taiwan—but ones that are thoughtfully designed, well-made, and meant to be worn and kept, rather than briefly purchased and forgotten.

Whether or not someone is familiar with Taiwan, we hope our pieces are chosen simply for their design and quality—and, over time, become items that carry memories, stories, and a sense of connection.

Today, through physical stores in Taipei and our online platform, TAIWANIZE continues to connect with people from around the world. For us, every time a piece is chosen and worn is another way Taiwanese culture quietly enters everyday life.