Shiatzy Chen unveiled their Fall/Winter '24 collection at the renowned Palais de Tokyo, a celebrated hub for contemporary art in Paris. Although we've been familiar with the brand for years, this was our first experience attending one of its runway shows. Alongside numerous prominent Chinese influencers, the presence of Chinese singer Liu Yu highlighted the brand's commitment to enhancing its digital presence. Shiatzy Chen's collection presented a harmonious blend of Chinese cultural heritage and modern Western design, drawing inspiration from the four pillars of traditional Chinese art: the writing brush, ink stick, ink slab, and paper, as well as the elegance of Chinese calligraphy.
Signature pieces included a shimmering tweed dress with a qipao style collar and a Mao suit inspired long coat adorned with brushstroke like embroidery, illustrating the seamless melding of cultural influences. Our favorite look featured a long wool coat also embellished with imprinted brushstrokes and accented with black fringes. This design also came in an oversized blazer, a unisex version, highlighting the collection's awesome craftsmanship and artistic attention to detail. Other standout designs included a glittering bomber jacket, available in both white and black, paired with a miniskirt. Infused with streetwear influences, this ensemble playfully bridged Eastern and Western aesthetics. A special mention goes to the shoes with metallic grille toes, coming in different colors, we absolutely loved those heels!
As Shiatzy Chen embraces the 'New Chinese Style' trend, the brand establishes itself as a pioneer in cultural innovation, resonating with modern consumers who cherish authenticity and heritage in their fashion choices. Being consistently in Paris, and showcasing during Fashion Week, Shiatzy Chen bridges traditional Chinese culture and contemporary design, bringing its unique perspective to Western audiences.
Collection notes
Upon entering, splashes of ink change in
gradation as per the five tints of ink, charred, heavy, strong, light
and pale blacks, visually magnificent and breathtaking design. Director Shiatzy Chen begins her story based on the four
treasures of the study indispensable to initiating Oriental art and
passing on writing culture. Starting from the ink slab and the grounding
of the ink slab, we watch as the ink dye spreads widely and endlessly
like rain, river and ocean, heavy and light, far and near,
ever-changing. Inspired by the spreading, flowing and dying of the ink
on the Xuan paper, this collection turns the concept into different
patterns and craftsmanship with 'flower within flower' as the
overarching theme; amidst the embroidered ink blossoms on the clothing
and handbags, the jade ink orchid is embellished casually as the
highlight of the collection, delving into the depth of Oriental culture
as well as exploring the essence of ink marks.
Analysing the scene, the horizontal and vertical ink slabs float
weightlessly to form the sky as the small puddle of translucent black
ink forms the ground. Both the sky and the ground expand along the
runway as if raining a poetic drizzle of ink, forming the rhythm of the
show with elegance, depth, richness, saturation and nourishment. At the
beginning of this collection, we see clean-cut and rectangular
silhouettes echoing the shape of the ink slab, with the contour also
meticulously focusing on the cutting of the 1960s Western style suits
embedded with the unique craftsmanship of Shiatzy Chen developed over 46
years.
We see suits highlighted as the fundamental style this season,
combining Western fabric with Oriental technique in coupled Western and
Oriental corresponding versions of the same concept, again manifesting
how seamlessly Shiatzy Chen has grasped the fusion of East and
West.
Overall, the abundance of ink-coloured clothes this season is sensually
stunning. In the details, the gold yarn hidden within black metallic
jacquard demonstrates layers of ink inundated with energy; the
Oriental style embroidery layered on Western ribbon creates the effect
of piled ink as the black tassels adorned with black wool and mohair
interpret the dramatic effect of ink blossoms that fall in place to
compose an interplay of stillness and motion. The ink, moreover, is more
than just the black. Delving into the Oriental culture, we find the Ming
Dynasty artefact 'Ink Collection' to be an array of colours from gold on
black to emperor purple and jade green, further emphasising the unique
quality of peace and calm of the ink.
The accessories see a revisit of
the virgule heels classic to Shiatzy Chen with hexagonal metallic grille
toes matched with jade bangle handbags embellished with jade ink
orchids; such layering brings order to the show in different tints of
ink.
The Fall/Winter '24 is like an avant-garde ode to the scholarly. Dots, streaks
and dashes narrate the symbolic meaning of ink to culture, penetrating
and influencing gently yet energetically, developing for Shiatzy Chen a
new season filled with possibilities for distinctive
individuality.
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