Straddling an edgy dichotomy of classical tailoring and deliberate imperfection, Yang Li began his show with a group of sleeveless suit jackets and layered short shorts featuring unfinished hems and dangling threads at the seams.
The designer’s romantic touch came through in luscious dresses — pleated, layered or both — that swept the floor. They looked most compelling when paired with boxy, transparent men’s shirts, which helped them avoid appearing medieval.
Throughout the collection, Li made a point of stitching patches of tulle to the backs, sides or fronts of his garments. This seemed freshest when the patches actually served a purpose — a cutout engulfing the pocket of an asymmetric coat, for example — but looked too simplistic when used solely as decoration, which was too often the case.