Judging by this dreamy Pre-Fall ’17 collection, Huishan Zhang is still on a saccharine high after making his runway debut at London Fashion Week last September. There’s certainly a growing appetite for his youthful brand of ethereality, which is all ruffles, lace, and fondant dresses. Thanks to new stockists like MatchesFashion.com, the line is becoming as international as the designer himself—Zhang currently splits his time between London, where he studied at Central Saint Martins, and his 20-strong atelier in his hometown of Qingdao, China. There was plenty of polish among his 50-odd looks, which he called “elegant yet ethereal,” evidence perhaps of his time at the Dior couture studio.
Zhang’s reference point for this collection was, he said the “nostalgia of the French bohemia.” He spent the summer traveling around the rural provinces of Europe, and was later charmed by French films, notably 2000’s Chocolat. It was the warm, autumnal patina of that picture that most impressed the designer. This came through in a series of peasanty, polka-dot dresses and separates in a palette of moss, berry, and muted pink which wouldn’t look amiss on that film’s coquettish star, Juliette Binoche.
The mood elsewhere was a little more urban. Touches of ingenuity came in the accordion-pleated khaki trench coats, and flares, which were a masculine counterpoint to all the femininity. Still, Zhang couldn’t resist skirting a neat little khaki jacket with white feathers (as anyone who caught his Spring 2017 show knows, he loves plumage). That tough fabric sang when embellished with oxblood sequins, which pooled together in a kind of camouflage on trenches and pants, and were layered onto dresses with meshed floral fabrication.
There were a few firsts for Zhang here, too. Neoprene cropped up on tangerine cape coats and simple silhouette two-pieces. He also introduced knits with a series of pearl encrusted flares, and tube skirts, which were paired with ’50s cardigans, each stitched with a woman’s hand clasping a single pearl—apparently this speaks of eternal love. That symbol came off best on a black bomber with big pearl buttons. It was a good accompaniment to all those frothy dresses, which will hit stores in time for Valentine’s Day.
