Chinese designer Anna Yang, who made her Milan debut for fall, brought some star dust to the city with a collection that took its cue from aliens and her own fascination with the 1947 Roswell “UFO incident,” which has spawned a body of conspiracy theories.
Not for Yang, though, scary creatures with antennae or robots on wheels. Her aliens were more of the “Blade Runner” variety — an elegant bevy of ladies with a penchant for silvery fabrics and bright, clashing colors.
“I wanted to mix the silver with the pink because it’s so sweet and soft — I thought that would come as a surprise,” said the designer, who is planning to open her first European store in Milan later this year. She currently sells her upbeat, youthful collections at Beijing’s Galeries Lafayette and via a clutch of stand-alone stores in mainland China.
The collection was one big silver tray of colorful macaroons and other tea time treats: A silver croc patterned jacket sprouted fat pink fuzzy sleeves, while fur chubbies and long coats came in shades of bubble gum, burgundy, tangerine and tomato.
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Balancing all of that colorful bulk were sheer skirts — in black, red or caramel — and short, patent pinafore dresses layered over contrasting shirts with pouf sleeves — in combinations such as egg yolk and green, purple and silver.
Spray-painted silver jeans with raw edges were a nod to the current distressed denim trends, while a long silver trench had an eerie feel, like something a private investigator on Mars might wear. Overalls and black patent trousers were a little ill-fitting and awkward, but they were a rare misstep in a collection that was otherworldly — in all the right ways.