Gong Li's collection, full of charm, nostalgia and a touch of absurdity, was an escape for guests who had walked through the rain and freezing temperatures to attend the show at the Palace of Tokyo.
Li said he was thinking about old friends gathering at a snowy mountain resort, remembering days gone by and their childhood playing together outdoors.
To underscore this point, he turned to a diverse cast of young and old men. One even had snow-white hair and was wearing what looked like ordinary reading glasses, an unusual sight on a catwalk.
Given the climate (both in Paris and in Li's imagination), the men were wrapped in warm clothing that included long, knotted coats in cream or hot pink; thin padded jackets that reached to the ankles and jackets with fronts that folded up and buttoned into sturdy cuff pockets.
The fabrics were whimsical and Li treated them as an artist would a canvas.
One had a 3D-printed snow pattern on the shoulders and chest, while a baby blue and white rugby sweater looked worn and torn in the back. A white zipper-front sweater jacket was adorned with cut-out pieces of fabric resembling spots of a camouflage pattern.
Other styles had to do with children. Jeans and denim shirts had small eyelets scattered here and there, reminiscent of the mesh of school sportswear, while another pair of pants was covered in a camouflage pattern made with brightly colored thread.
Li accessorized with traditional Chinese gourds hanging from brightly colored wool sashes worn with coats and jackets. In China, those gourds are an auspicious symbol and have clearly been working their magic for a while as Li's collections continue their rise.
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