Contemplating the notion of fragility, Huishan Zhang was inspired by a childhood memory of the ubiquitous patterned mugs that sat on “every desk in China,” which inspired the collection’s delicate floral prints. And he looked at the way in which British artist Abigail Reynolds folds and layers old and new photographs in her collages to inform the intricate laser-cut patterns in his pretty organza dresses.
At the designer’s presentation held at The Connaught Hotel, a fitting venue for the kind of grown-up and glamorous demi-couture clothes that are his forte, he showed a refined collection with all the romance and flirtatiousness that has endeared him to women who want to look feminine but not girly.
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The palette of pale blush, pink and white was offset by crimson, black and gold. Among the highlights were a pair of floral-embroidered organza boot-cut trousers, with a matching top that had white frills disappearing under the arms and a white gown with a panel of weightless feathers down the front, which was belted with a wide black band to stop it being too saccharine. There also were simple wool midi skirts in blush to olive wool, which were a solid counterpoint to all the detailing, and varsity jacket styles, which injected a youthful sportiness.