London Fashion Week: The UK is open for Chinese designers, but for how long?
Chinese designers Huishan Zhang, Yuhan Wang, Timothy Mo and Taiwanese designer Jamie Wei Huang are making waves in the UK capital – but where will they stand after Brexit?
London Fashion Week has become the platform for designers from across the world, from Shanghai to Dubai to Warsaw. The mantra of Caroline Rush, who has helmed the British Fashion Council (BFC) for the past decade, has always been “London is open” to international and European creativity – despite Brexit.
Stephanie Phair, chairman of the BFC, is optimistic “the one thing the UK isn’t short of, is talent”, and there was no shortage of young Chinese designers welcomed onto the London catwalk and showrooms – including Hong Kong’s Design Renaissance Foundation, which took a group of fashion and accessory designers to meet media and buyers.
The catwalk roll-call included Huishan Zhang, Yuhan Wang, Timothy Mo and Taiwanese designer Jamie Wei Huang – who in the spirit of collaboration brought her entire Chinese team out on the catwalk to take a bow. Looking among them, one fears how many will still be in the UK post-Brexit.
Simone Rocha
Chinese descendant and Irish-born Simone Rocha’s fairy tale spectacle at London Fashion Week, in a vast restored Victorian theatre fondly known as the “Ally Pally” (formally as Alexandra Palace), was a wonderful way of forgetting all the woes that British Brexit politics are inflicting on the nation – not least the UK fashion industry.
It was an opportunity to escape into Rocha’s world of ruffles and lace in a storyline inspired by ancient Irish folklore. In short, the collection featured her signature delicately embroidered and ruffled tulle and organza dresses, smocks and doily-lace skirts in white, nude pink and black. Dresses were layered over brocade trousers and accessorised with an enchanting array of pearl jewellery and woven straw bags and hairpieces – which relate to her folkloric inspiration. In keeping with the thespian location, it was modelled by some famous actresses from the English and Irish stage.
Huishan Zhang
Huishan Zhang, firmly established in London and China, presented a polished collection of his signature ruffled and embroidered dresses with lots of filmy organza and feathery gowns. There was an underlying 1960s theme, with the cutest little cocktail dresses for his young clientele and evening tunic and trouser combos inspired by the qipao.