This season in London, conversations at previews were centered around navigating the fashion landscape. For Huishan Zhang, this meant skipping a physical presentation for fall, allowing him to channel his energy into production. In lieu of the laborious preparations that showing entails, careful attention could instead be paid to bespoke fabrications and hand-sewn details, as well as the logistics of delivering the collection to his loyals. “We wanted to take a breath,” he said.
Zhang’s latest proposition, he said, was “like a book: I’ve introduced a new chapter with new characters.” As ever, Zhang was keen to springboard off an array of references––fall was loosely rooted in La Dolce Vita. And characters they were: each look told a story of its own. “She’s in multiple phases,” he said of the woman he had in mind when designing his fall collection. (He referenced a singular woman of various guises, rather than several.) The opener, a structured boat-neckline minidress, embellished with his typical floral appliqué and styled with scrunched leather gloves and knee-high boots (recurring accompaniments throughout), continued the more youthful mood he’s explored in recent offerings. So too, the cropped pale-pink bomber jacket, wrinkled in texture, which felt like a notable departure from the gowns that have traditionally defined his collections.
But of course, there were still gowns. Huishan Zhang has women to dress––they await his guidance, their invitations to various global events in hand. The first was dove gray, designed in the same spirit as the opening mini, with geometrically-shaved faux fur draped over the model’s arm. Several followed, ranging greatly in silhouette and finish: croc-embossed faux leather and foiled jacquard separates, and a herringbone wool cocoon coat. Skirts were both full-bodied and fitted; sequin, feather and beaded touches were applied generously yet sensitively.
The Huishan Zhang woman was encouraged to be as bold or understated as she wanted. The most brazen will wear the cardinal red Duchesse satin gown. Speaking of cardinals, apparently, a client wore a black capped-sleeve top and matching skirt to meet the Pope last year. The same set was back for fall, in case the opportunity should arise for someone else.