Looking for the new is an integral part of being a designer.
For fall, that search got Sean Suen thinking about the cusp of the '90s, when China truly opened up to the world, a period when Western clothing was the epitome of fashion.
“Back then, when people were looking for something new, they wanted a suit because what they had was a Mao jacket,” he said backstage.
The suits were his starting point, and Suen is bad. To avoid being too referential, he broke his balance with infusions of American utility or magnifying boxy cuts, with a draping side by bringing the oversized pieces closer to the body.
Suen also incorporated the idea of novelty into the garments thanks to layers that wearers could play with, such as a jacket that could be partially removed to create a nonchalant asymmetry.
The knotted knitwear, which evokes fond memories of her youth, she said, adds a homey touch. She piled on cues from an older generation, like high-belted pants, suspenders, and gold accessories. These created extravagant touches.
Exhibit A: a pair of long trompe-l'oeil pants peeking out from the waist. On such a frigid day, they felt perfect.
With the buzz surrounding filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai’s “Blossoms” series, which chronicles the rise of a young Shanghai businessman during China’s economic boom in the 1990s, Suen’s work felt even more in tune with the most elegant impulse of the season.
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