Designer Fengchen Wang said she wants to create the moment of breaking dawn at her show space. She was probably inspired by Olafur Eliasson’s retrospective at the Tate Modern and American minimalist artist Dan Flavin.
Dozens of fluorescent lights and disco smoke approximated what she witnessed from the peak of the Wuyi Mountains, near her Fujian hometown in China: a majestic sunrise above a foggy forest and a sea of clouds. The designer felt such an experience was a fitting metaphor for her brand. “Working, waiting and hoping for dawn,” she said.
The collection definitely felt hopeful and progressive. She introduced a sustainable tie-dye technique using Chinese medicines, sourced from Fujian, to mimic the complex shades of daybreak, from icy gray and navy to fiery reds on finely tailored wool coats.
The Royal Academy of Arts graduate also debuted a new design for Converse. Her name in Chinese characters was deconstructed and rearranged through the layering of fabric and used as a pattern on Jack Purcell sneakers, as well as trenchcoats, puffer jackets and knitwear.
