The pattern of irregular patches of blue that strafed against competing shades of gray in various outfits in this show—rib knits, jacquard jackets, oversize work shirts and track pants, a popper-peppered puffa—was, Feng Chen Wang said, inspired by a sunrise over the Wuyi mountains. As ever, Wang worked here to incorporate elements of her home culture and experience into the collection. Some of these elements were personal, such as the moto-inflected knits, riding jackets, gloves and goggles. “It’s a layer of memory, a memory from my hometown of my father; he was always riding. It’s also about a sense of speed and being brave and facing a challenge.” Wang was talking about the challenge of growing her own brand, something she is certainly rising to: Her impressive collaboration with Converse had a fresh iteration today, and she is amongst the finalists for what is an extremely strong International Woolmark Prize this year.
Another culturally specific influence on the collection could be divined in the Wang-shouldered opening suit, a long caramel trench, and a vibrant scarlet knit: All were dyed using herb and vegetable extracts regularly employed in Chinese medicine. Very appealing were the ’90s style track tops elongated with long skirts to convert into swooshy trenches—an example in taupe and olive was particularly fine—as were the acid-washed and overdyed denim pieces (all of which were recycled). For women we saw a strong piece of leather suiting and a fair few throwback bodycon knits. Since her MAN days Wang’s work seems to have coalesced into a back and forth between her big-shouldered suiting and some interestingly re-conceptualized sportswear, but the womenswear and the interesting integration of Chinese culture here suggested that she has other directions in which to develop.
