The Tamesis
Before showing off the Pre-Fall 2026 collection, Han Chong previewed a short film in a packed dumpling restaurant in Chinatown. Sandiwara, written and directed by Sean Baker and starring Michelle Yeoh, is part of Self-Portrait’s ongoing residency program, which launches in 2024 in partnership with Christopher Kane and will continue to expand into collaborations across other creative fields. Why? “There’s too much noise, too much fashion,” the designer said. “People are overwhelmed.” It’s hard to disagree. When we meet at Self-Portrait’s headquarters in Faringdon, fashion month is already eight weeks old and the autumn 2026 season has actually started in January at Pitti Uomo. It’s no surprise, then, that Chong chose to pull it back this season. “It felt right not to over-engineer,” he said.
Would it be taboo to admit that checking out a rack of clothes is a relief and has no agenda other than “making it easy for customers to understand”? We hope not. Putting aside your creative ego and catering to real shoppers—not critics or magazine editorials—is noble in itself. (You could argue that Demna did the same thing at his first Gucci show.) In the world of Self-Portrait, that translated into coordinated anglaise skirt suits, pale pink knitwear with floral button detailing and bouclé suits trimmed with lace. Meanwhile, denim—arguably the simplest of fabrics—was styled into bucket-collar mini dresses with permanently flared skirts, twisted cargo pants, and halter-neck buttoned maxi skirts. Elsewhere it was treated until it draped almost like cashmere, appearing in pussy-bow shirts and wide-leg jeans embroidered with silver pinstripe thread. All in all, the atmosphere is sweeter and more coquettish than last season. “Okay,” Chong shrugged. “We’re heading into summer and customers are going to want to feel relaxed.”
In fact, early fall—Chong’s biggest season—will retail through early September, during which time his customers’ calendars are filled with bachelorette parties, weddings, and summer vacations. Hence the emphasis on occasion dressing: sumptuously draped ribbed jersey gowns, asymmetrical cotton poplin shirtdresses, pussy-bow shifts, and diamond-studded cocktail dresses, from backless pillars to ruched miniskirts. There was even a taffeta bridal gown. Who better to represent Chong’s party girl than Kate Moss? “Oh my God, your bias-cut dress,” he recalled her commenting on the elongated polka-dot slip shown here. “They fit perfectly and look great.” Indeed, coincidentally, crocheted beach dresses and basket bags recalled the model’s Balearic uniform, alongside vintage nightgowns, linen vests and lace blouses, styles she’s long been known to spot on Portobello Road. Zhuang did not reveal whether she would be the next subject of his residency.
