Spanish drag couturier creates dazzling Taiwan-inspired designs

Spanish drag couturier creates dazzling Taiwan-inspired designs

2026-10-16

A self-taught drag costume designer from Spain is turning heads with his over-the-top creations, blending traditional Asian motifs and European flair into dazzling stage outfits. From flamenco dresses featuring Taiwanese Hakka prints to elaborate Venetian-inspired clown costumes, Iago Valín has taught himself everything from pattern-making to sewing. After coming to Taiwan as an exchange student 13 years ago, he found more than inspiration here. He found a place where he feels free, accepted, and proud to call home.

A groovy, glowing Christmas tree outfit, a ruffled flamenco dress dotted with Hakka print flowers, and an east-meet-west Venetian carnival jester costume. All of these drag looks shining on stage were created by Iago Valín, from Spain.

Iago Valín
Costume designer from Spain
If you look closely, you’ll see it’s all qipao brocades. So part of it comes from Asia, and part of it comes from Europe. I spent almost 200 hours on this one.

From design and pattern-making, to sewing it all together. Everything to the last stitch was crafted by Iago, who surprisingly is completely self-taught. By watching videos online, he learnt how to make outfits that only get more elaborate and grand.

Iago Valín
Costume designer from Spain
My mom does a lot of traditional crafts, so even since I was young I would see her making lace or dying fabrics. This shirt I also made myself. I used a bedsheet from when I was a kid. It’s full of my childhood memories.

Iago’s talent also extends to languages. He’s from Galicia, an autonomous community in northwest Spain that has a language of its own. In primary school, his family moved to the island of Jersey, a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel close to France. Besides speaking Galician, Spanish, English, French and Mandarin, he’s also studied German and even Ancient Greek and Latin. In university, he double majored in linguistics and Chinese, and fell in love with Taiwan after coming here on exchange.

Iago Valín
Costume designer from Spain
I first came to Taiwan because I was curious. I ended up loving it here. I feel like Taiwan is very free, and I feel really happy here. One part is because I’m gay, and Taiwan is a very accepting society. That was really important. Because when I’m out and about I don’t feel like I’m in danger or anything.

Having lived in Taiwan for 13 years now, Iago’s friends, partner and job are all here. The freedom and diversity of the island have made this his second home, and he’s here to stay.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#costumedesign #drag #梵雅戈 #sewing #taiwan

融合亞洲元素.歐洲風格梵雅戈自學創作變裝華服

2026-10-16

13年前來台灣當交換學生的梵雅戈，擁有超強的語言天賦，靠著自學與驚人的天賦，將亞洲與歐洲的經典元素融入服飾創作，打造出一套套驚豔舞台的變裝服飾，他說台灣自由與包容的環境，讓他安心的留在這裡生活。

不管是解構和服的聖誕裝飾風，還是結合東方客家花布語彙，與西班牙弗朗明哥的舞蹈裝，甚至是威尼斯面具節的古典宮廷小丑裝扮，這些變裝皇后舞台表演的衣服，作者都是他，來自西班牙的梵雅戈。

[[西班牙新住民梵雅戈]]
"如果仔細看會發現，這些布料是旗袍的布，所以有一部分是有亞洲的，一方面也是歐洲的。這套可能花了快兩百個小時。"

從畫設計圖、打版、裁縫，一針一線都是梵雅戈精心裁製，但令人更驚訝的是，他無師自通，靠著網路自學，就能作出一套比一套還要華麗的變裝服飾。

[[西班牙新住民梵雅戈]]
"我媽他做很多手工藝，所以從小我都看她做一些蕾絲，或一些染布。這件襯衫也是我做的，我用小時候的床單的布做的，所以是一種童年的回憶。"

梵雅戈的天份還有學語言，他來自西班牙西北部的加利西亞自治區，那裡流通著自己的語言，小學又跟著父母搬到位於英吉利海峽，靠近法國，但屬於英國王室的島嶼澤西。加利西亞語、西班牙語、英文、法文、德文，甚至是希臘文和拉丁文都難不倒他，也因為大學念的是語言學和中文雙主修，因此來台灣當交換學生，進而愛上台灣。

[[西班牙新住民梵雅戈]]
"我一開始來台灣就是因為好奇，結果還蠻喜歡這裡，一方面是台灣很自由，我覺得在這邊真的很幸福，一方面是因為我是同性戀，所以我知道台灣也包容這個文化，也非常的重要，因為我不會走在路上，覺得危險或什麼的。"

定居台灣13年，朋友、工作、伴侶都在這裡，這片自由而包容的土地，就是他心之所向，落地生根的第二故鄉。

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