The Tamesis
At this season’s preview in London, much of the buzz was focused on the fashion world. For Zhang Huishan, that means skipping physical shows in the fall and allowing him to focus on production. Rather than the laborious work required to prepare for presentation, careful attention is paid to the details of custom fabrication and hand-stitching, as well as the logistics of delivering the collection to his loyal fans. “We want to take a breather,” he said.
Zhang’s latest proposal, he said, is “like a book: I introduce new chapters and new characters.” As always, Zhang is keen to draw inspiration from a range of references – Autumn is loosely rooted in La Dolce Vita . They are all characters: each look tells its own story. “She’s in many stages,” he said of the woman he had in mind when designing his fall collection. (He spoke of one distinct woman in different shapes, not just a few.) It opened with a structured boat-neck minidress decorated with his signature floral appliqués and paired with pleated leather gloves and knee-high boots (consisting throughout), continuing the more youthful mood he’s explored in recent offerings. The same goes for a light pink cropped bomber jacket, pleated in texture and feeling decidedly different from the gowns that have traditionally defined his collection.
But of course, there are still dresses. Zhang Huishan has women to dress up—and they await his guidance, invitations to various global events in hand. The first, in dove grey, follows the same design philosophy as the opening mini, with geometric faux fur covering the model’s arms. Several styles followed, with widely varying silhouettes and finishes: separates in croc-embossed faux leather and gold foil jacquard, and a cocoon coat in herringbone wool. Dresses were full and form-fitting; embellishments of sequins, feathers and beading were used liberally and sensitively.
Ms. Jang Hye-sun was encouraged to be as bold or as understated as she wanted. The most shameless would wear a red duchess satin gown. Speaking of cardinals, apparently a client wore a black cap-sleeve top and matching skirt to meet the pope last year. In the fall, the same series returns in case anyone else gets a chance.
