Huishan Zhang gravitates towards a certain type of throwback sophisticate for inspiration: the Zeldas, Ginevras, and Hadleys of the world. This season, the designer was pondering what it meant for women of bygone high-society eras to make a lasting impression with their style. He found himself revisiting his own archive in his research, specifically the textiles with which he first made his mark. Using his signature east-meets-west shapes as a blueprint, Zhang reworked the black and red lace that appeared in his debut collection. Patchworked with graphic windowpanes of that pretty lace, the empire-line mini and maxi chiffon dresses proved that upcycling can work just as nicely on the red carpet as anywhere else—and that’s bound to be music to the ears of Zhang’s high-profile clientele, such as Gemma Chan, Naomi Campbell, and the like.
Zhang isn’t the kind to reinvent the wheel each season; instead, he gently evolves his familiar monochromatic looks with texture and color. That said, he has shifted his design process to better align with the transitional nature of Resort, like many of his peers in London and New York. To wit, there will be a good number of his trademark pleated trench coats in weighty tweeds and wool for sale in his salon-style boutique on Mount Street come November.
