“Do you want to have tea with me?” Feng Chen Wang joked, holding a 3D printed bag shaped like a teapot.
A hot drink was exactly what the sub-zero Parisian temperatures called for on Thursday morning. Unfortunately, it was just the inspiration for a fall collection in which Wang continued to meld his heritage with contemporary-minded products.
In Feng's hometown of Fujian in southern China, a tradition of the tea-picking period is for people to tour the approximately 100 tea-growing families to determine the best of the year.
The drink was distilled throughout the collection in a palette of earthy tones, hand-dyed finishes with mineral pigments (or prints thereof), and washed textures. A host of accessories also influenced this, including a shoe cover that looked as if clay had been sculpted onto a pair of Converse. (He has an ongoing shoe collaboration with the Nike-owned brand.)
The designer maintained the more mature direction started last season, leaning once again towards tailoring. Formality was controlled by details like scans of jeans and workwear printed on suits and trench coats.
Corsetry elements indicated a more elegant direction on a denim jacket or through interesting pleat effects on the torso.
Other styles played on his knowledge of streetwear, particularly for feminine silhouettes. Among the highlights was a tight dungarees jumpsuit; washed, tea-stained nylon jackets that looked more poetic than punk; and jeans that had the ease of joggers.
Cold-weather clothing, such as a flight jacket with a wide, fluffy collar and cocoon coats, also appealed, and not just because of the day's weather.
Most would prefer their tea piping hot, but the one Wang served was cold.
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