Romance was in the air at Huishan Zhang’s fall show, which took cues from French bohemian dressing. This was most visible in the designer’s beautifully worked lace gowns rendered in pristine white and moody black, this season’s strongest category. They featured gathered sleeves and flared skirts, so light they didn’t make a sound as the models glided softly to the sounds of an acoustic guitar.
As the soundtrack turned to techno, the looks also toughened. The Central Saint Martins graduate turned to a graphic harlequin pattern for a series of knitwear numbers, including an oversized sweater and a cropped cardigan. Elsewhere, the motif served as a matrix for intricate feather and pearl embroideries, as seen on a cropped teddy jacket and two-piece evening ensemble made of a midlength skirt and cropped top, feeding somewhat into the season’s boudoir chic vibe.
But it was hard to tell how a volley of organza and paneled skirts sporting a blurred flower print by a Chinese watercolor artist related to the rest of the lineup. Albeit romantic by nature, they were no match with Zhang’s lace and tulle artistry.
