Shanghai Fashion Week FW24: Elevated day to night options
One of the fashion capitals of Asia, last week presented some of the best fashion shows of the season and here I am to show you some of them. Shanghai Fashion Week has the level of craftsmanship and theatrics that some Western cities want to have.
JACQUES WEI
The presentation of Donghui Wei was inspired by the intense and fugacious beauty of Epiphyllum oxypetalum, a kind of plant that only blooms once a year. It is beautiful to see how he captures in the clothing of this moment, how fragile but robust some looks seem. Throughout 40 looks, he presented a wardrobe of unique and timeless pieces that expressed a relaxed sense unmatched with some of the big brands. Thanks to the distortion of textiles, in many ways, he perceived fugitive beauty as an array of instant classics.
LOUIS SHENGTAO CHEN
First of all, that scenography was impressive and already produced a tense feeling in the room. The 45 looks presented by the Central Saint Martins graduate install a certain kind of instability on the people that were present on the show. The woman he is trying to portray is angry and everyone should know it. Is not a thematic collection, but rather an exploration of flora and fauna with technical finesse. He transformed evening textiles into streetwear glamorous garments to remain in his comfort zone, while presenting something new. A romantic and softer sense can be perceived by the curated treatment that each look received. Sometimes emotional, sometimes imaginative; the brand is trying to open its own path in the industry, while expressing a duality between fantasy and reality.
CHÉN SIFÃN
Chaos in Order is a curated collection that tries to rework menswear staples with a traditional mind. It explores the beauty of disorder, misplacing pockets or delicately adorning shoulders. Some elements from workwear and formalwear were taken to symbolize order and attitude. Red was selected by the design team as a sensually seductive color that represents the contradictions of being a man. The coexistence of different personalities is the key message we need to take from this runway show.
LE FAME
Zhong Zixin created for FW25 an ode to the Shanghai women’s clothing style, to Art Deco architecture and to the monochromatic runway shows of the 1990s. Divided into three acts, the collection of 41 looks presented the Vanity Fair, the Haunting Crush and the Neo-Chines: different personalities for the same woman. We had options for everyday moments, from luxurious and elegant dresses to a distinctive and romantic lace shirt. The complexity of a woman’s mind is represented by the variety of pieces shown on the catwalk. Accessories were made in collaboration with YVMIN, where vintage jewelry was recycled to create bright and beautiful bags. The brand is capturing the essence of memories and converting them into fashionable and refined details.
XIAOLI
With this collection, the brand is celebrating the comfort of nostalgia and playing with a cozy but liberating feeling. A palette full of desaturated warm colors was used, trying to represent an effortless take on elegance and nonchalant. It is such a pleasure for the eyes to see these pieces and observe their exquisite craftsmanship with unique textures and detailed embellishments all over the pieces. The 33 looks presented are enriched silhouettes that expressed brilliance and fun at the same time.
Words: @alraco43