Visiting Ruohan is always a pleasure, ever since their debut at Paris
Fashion Week. Established in 2021, Ruohan is a Chinese everyday luxury
womenswear brand built on the philosophy: 'Enrich life with effortless
spirit'. This mantra is not just a tagline but a guiding principle that
shapes every stitch and detail in their designs. Drawing inspiration from
travel, art, literature, and diverse aesthetic structures, Ruohan embraces
modern minimalism with a focus on neutral color palettes. Their abstract
design language weaves sophistication and versatility into every piece,
creating a timeless wardrobe with understated elegance.
Ruohan showcases their Fall/Winter '24 collection at Lafayette
Anticipations, the 19th Century building spanning two small streets in the
Marais. A perfect fit for the brand, as it aligns seamlessly with its
architectural inspirations, careful attention to detail, sharp tailoring,
and aesthetic vision. Arriving a bit early at the venue, we stumbled upon the brand's rehearsals and lookbook shoot in progress. This gave us the unique upportunity to capture some exclusive backstage moments and behind-the-scenes shots.
We admire the brand's timeless style and distinctive design language, as well as its thoughtfully curated color palette. This season, a striking red-orange hue makes an appearance, adding vibrancy to the collection with pieces like a maxi skirt and maxi dress, which pair effortlessly with the warm brown knits. Our standout look (last gif) was the cream lammy coat, crafted from exquisite fabrics, styled over a pleated cream skirt and a sheer skirt in the same warm beige tone, paired with a matching blouse. This outfit perfectly encapsulates everything Ruohan represents: refined elegance, thoughtful design, and cohesive styling. Another favorite was the cozy cream knitted maxi skirt, paired with a matching roll-neck knit and a sweater artfully twisted and layered over the model. This look exudes the essence of fall and winter, capturing the season's needs and atmosphere.
Collection Notes
Ruohan Fall/Winter '24 collection marks the final chapter of the three-part
collection series: Forms, Lines, and Points. Comprising 34 looks, this
collection returns to the most primitive essence of clothing, focusing on a
single element and varying it in different depths. The designer explores the
significance of the "point" in the language of clothing design, as basic
building fragments, as support for lines, as the result of the intersection of
lines, and as the minimal depth of a surface. Ruohan delves into various aspects
of the existence of points, their manifestations in life, and their directional
significance. Starting points, endpoints, intersections, highest and lowest
points, focus and defocus, and the minimal points of contact with objects all
embody the essence of points.
Ruohan revisits echoes of past series, carrying the traditional cultural
Chinese meaning. The collection respects the poetry around the forms,
including the squares of yore and the harmonious pleats. Squares dissolve into
lines, carving narratives upon fabric; pleats unfurl into singular folds,
hidden within the fabric's embrace, reminiscent of childhood's playful
origami, revealing secrets with each unfolding from one singular point. For
the last chapter of the trilogy, platforms rise and fall, weaving tales of
past and present, converging at the heart of the agora. Here, amidst the
echoes of time, OMA's modern embrace breathes life into aged stone. Meanwhile,
the designer metaphorically infuses her essence into the 'double-layer'
building, becoming its third layer and shaping the narrative of the day within
its walls. What about Ruohan's design language, its points, lines, and forms?
After a year and a half of exploration, they start to harmonize. This language
is the lining of silk satin organza, the parallelogram single-pockets, the
proportionate chaos of pleats, the algorithm in the merchandising plan, and
the anticipation of series yet untold.
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