Celebrity Life

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Bottega Veneta

Street style for spring/summer 2020 was awash with Daniel Lee’s square-toe sandals, either intrecciato woven leather mules or strappy sandals that had influencers and editors risking frostbite. In Lee’s second showing for the Italian leather house, the accessories were once again instant hits, with a supersized intrecciato hobo bag taking centre stage. In terms of ready-to-wear, Lee built on his first Bottega Veneta collection, in which he’d delivered strong looks with sharp lines. This collection saw lighter pieces with softened lines, but the clingy ribbed dresses were there, as were the sportier pieces with interesting twists. Leather was given lighter treatment this time round and could be found in the trenches, anoraks and Bermuda shorts.

Chanel

The parade across Rue Cambon’s zinc-lined rooftops hailed Virginie Viard’s new direction for the House of Chanel. Although grounded in the French maison’s heritage, Viard’s tweed rompers, short hems and all manner of leggy playsuits evoked the Nouvelle Vague. Unlike Lagerfeld’s larger-than-life Chanel girl, Viard’s woman was liberated in contemporary T-shirts, jeans and Breton stripes, which joined tiered skirts and layers of tweed on the runway. Of course, this was the occasion when a comedienne jumped into a line of marching models – security didn’t like it and Gigi Hadid kindly helped direct her off the runway – but audiences came away with a show to remember.

Dior

Sustainability is big in fashion, but is it sustainable? At Dior, the answer is a supersized yes. This season Maria Grazia Chiuri worked with Paris-based environmental design collective Coloco to create the arboreal set that became Dior’s catwalk, comprising trees that would later be planted around Paris. If that weren’t enough, Chiuri took inspiration from Christian Dior’s sister Catherine, a botanist and acclaimed gardener. The result was an earthy collection of jacquards, silks and lace interwoven with raffia and denim ombre pieces – a more sustainable savoir-faire.

Fendi

What does your garden-variety collection look like when interpreted by one of the biggest forces in luxury fashion? If it’s Fendi, think relaxed, languid and psychedelic, and with a leafy floral print made of Lycra and laced with mink the house retained its signature style. Gingham featured heavily, executed on sequin- dipped organza. Terrycloth also made its customary appearance, suggesting that wearability and practicality remain at the forefront of Silvia Fendi’s approach – and for women on the go, there wasn’t a high heel in sight.

Giorgio Armani

Delicately muted colours dominated Giorgio Armani’s collection, titled Earth, although only a handful of looks featured the brown of the soil. The rest were in dreamy palettes of soft greige and pale blues and pinks that pointed to the hues of minerals and vegetation. Tropical-leaf prints grounded the collection in its theme, while organza billowed and furled in a sort of wilderness to convey the uncontrollability of nature’s creations.

Gucci

For his fifth anniversary at the House go Gucci, Alessandro Michele knew it was time for change. The provocateur, who charged into the fashion scene with his maximalist approach to granny chic, staged his first collection of the new decade in a red-lit room, which then flashed white light against moving walkways as 21 models in straitjackets emerged from behind corrugated metal gates – and that wasn’t the full collection but rather an amuse-bouche. Michele is clearly breaking out from the mould he’d created for himself. His first look was a sheer top with a black skirt – something of a first for the designer whose motto was to use all the colours – and when colour does appear its presence is blocked and graphic. Print is used sparingly, and mostly in the form of the GG logo he’s resurrected from the archives. There were also nods in the pant and skirt suits to the brand’s leaner silhouettes from the ’70s and Tom Ford’s influence in the ’90s. Where there were once layers upon layers of jacquards and tweeds, lightness became the focus. Fabrics are sheerer, slip dresses contained lace inserts and skirts, and sleeves became a playground of how transparent fabrics could go. Sexiness appeared by way of a strong S&M influence, with riding crops referencing not only that but also the house’s equestrian heritage.

Hermès

Representative of the artisanal trend that overtook the Paris runways, the Hermès collection was replete with tunics, gladiator sandals, and aprons. Inspired partly by the aprons worn in the Hermès atelier, Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski gave the humble piece a graphic makeover that was carried through in coats, dresses and shell tops. Having successfully delivered on heritage, she also merged modernity seamlessly into her collection through a series of coats and suits that demonstrate the finesse of craftsmanship that only a luxury house like Hermès can accomplish.

Shiatzy Chen

Wang Cheng Tsai-Hsia turned her hand to the underwear-as-outerwear trend, though Shiatzy Chen wouldn’t be so successful without its Chinese twist. Referencing fresh bamboo sprouts, the palette this season showed white, green, tan, red and black with breezy blouson cuts, sheer fabrics and bare legs.

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Fashion collections ring in the Lunar New Year with saturated tones and ornate jacquards.

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Photography LeungMo

Styling Zaneta Cheng 

Hair Heitai Cheung 

Makeup Chichi Li

Photography Assistant Him

Model Guan at Sing Models

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Florals are darker and moodier this season as designers look to spice up the favourite prints of the ladies who lunch with lashings of punk-grunge.

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Photography Olivier Yoan 

Styling Zaneta Cheng 

Hair Sofia Sjoo

Makeup Yin Lee 

Styling Assistant George Trochopoulos

Model Raphy at Select Models London

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Walking through Shiatzy Chen’s Whisper in Threads in Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park, it’s evident that the Taiwanese brand places craft at the centre of its identity.
Pieces that comprise the autumn/winter 2019 collection, inspired by Miao tribeswomen, greet guests in a section of the exhibition devoted to the colours red, black and silver, while others inspired by plum blossoms fill the pre-autumn section. Near the end is a seamstress, mesmerisingly pushing and pulling string through silk as the form of a phoenix emerges. The final alcove is home to a wall of sketches replete with a digital interface tracing the autumn/winter collection from inspiration to garment.
The project has been on the mind of founder and design director Tsai-hsia Chen (otherwise known as Madame Wang) since the brand’s 40th anniversary. And never one to do things by halves (after all, the brand remains the only Chinese import to have a permanent spot on the official Paris Fashion Week schedule), every detail has been carefully considered. She talked to Prestige at the exhibition.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the exhibition, especially regarding the brand and its commitment to traditional Chinese craftsmanship?

Every collection tries to tell a story from elements of Chinese culture. This autumn/winter I was inspired by the straps that mothers use to secure their babies to them in the Miao tribe. Han Chinese use a cloth, but the Miao straps are meticulously embroidered. It brings to mind the relation- ship between a mother and her child, how a mother raises her child and once the child grows up he or she takes care of the mother in turn.
The exhibition also shows the seamstresses’ skills and how their deft hands turn sketches into works of art on a garment. I hope it gives
people a better understanding of the entire design process, and the skill and art of embroidery.

Embroidery has alway been at the heart of Shiatzy Chen. Is this one of the reasons why a live seamstress at work is part of the exhibition?

Yes, I’ve always considered that supporting this art form is very important. There are many skilled seamstresses in China – in Guizhou and especially Suzhou. We look for our seamstresses in these two places, where they number in the thousands. They work on garment and tapestry embroideries for months and, given the number of ethnic-minority groups in China, each with their own distinctive crafts, I think it’s crucial to preserve and protect these industries to keep them from disappearing.  

What do you think keeps your clients loyal to the brand?

The qipao is a unique piece of clothing and Eastern styles bring out a certain air in Chinese women that can’t be replicated. Those who come back to us generally attend different events and are told they look fantastic. They get compliments abroad and it makes them feel special. I really think that when Chinese women wear a qipao, the garment brings out an aura of Eastern grace, sophistication and beauty that’s very different from Western-style dress, so we must preserve this garment.

As China's now known for counterfeiting, will it be hard to push luxury?

If you go back to the Song and Ming dynasties, our silk and paper were the most coveted in the world. Only after the fall of the Qing dynasty did the country become poor and things were made in a slipshod and rough manner, because there was simply no money. The Chinese then never spent time recovering these ancient arts. The thing is, though, critics of the Chinese the world over should probably realise that many of their crafts were originally taken from the Chinese before they modified the technique to make it their own.
I think we should look to our own histories and traditions, and not only revive dying crafts but also improve and evolve the industries. But that depends on the people of China, which is out of my control. I can only keep going at my own brand, creating luxury products that we’ve innovated to raise the level of the brand. That’s important, because if you don’t keep improving your product, your brand won’t go anywhere.

Would you encourage younger Chinese designers to make use of their heritage in design?

Absolutely. But it depends on the way they use it. It must be modern and appeal to buyers and clients alike each season. There’s no risk in replication, because these elements are conceptual and if taken literally, all designs would be the same and the stories would be the same every season. But it’s like when we buy cloth in Paris. Everybody in the world goes there to buy their cloth, but what they come out with is different, and even those who buy the same bolts come out with clothes that are totally distinct.

How do you keep up the momentum having designed for Shiatzy Chen for so many years?

I don’t count the years. I’ve always had a goal inside – to make Shiatzy Chen a respected international brand. So this goal serves as my motivation and gives me that energy. I think everyone needs to have a goal or an aim – that’s the best way to keep moving forward.

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After a long spell of minaudières and more diminutive handbags, this season sees the return of larger, louder holdalls. While Burberry and Dior offer a capacious ladylike purse with the TB Bag and 30 Montaigne respectively, Valentino’s VRing and Bottega Veneta’s Arco bags are decidedly larger offerings for the woman who wants to have -- and carry -- it all.

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The best gifts for the man that truly deserves them.

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Discover the season's trends from your favourite designers.

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Discover an incredible fusion of modern and heritage, East and West, at Shiatzy Chen.

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