February 15, 2019 |
Poetic stories of everyday people were on display at Xu Zhi’s AW19 show. An image of a windy rush-hour, as anonymous identities interact in the space of a café – yesterday’s presentation wasn’t about models standing for a couple of hours. The Chinese-born, London-based designers hired dancers to perform a two hour piece, each representing a different character with one thing in common – the wonderfully crafted garments carrying the Xu Zhi signature.
This season also marked the debut of brand’s menswear. Reflecting the aesthetic of the women’s designs, the men in the show were covered in all things we know and love about Xu Zhi – his intricate jacquard techniques and braid embroidery were implemented across denim and knitwear, as well as the more evening-ready pieces. A highlight were definitely the faux fur pieces – a classic plaid print was distorted to the point of abstraction, and even came in the shape of a furry hat (trend alert!).
Woman in Gold, a famous Gustav Klimt painting, was the starting point of the collection. But instead of literally interpreting the colours or silhouettes in the painting, Zhi was inspired by the anonymous character in it. His dancers/models walked around the showspace reflecting their anonymity, and then started interacting, after which they entered a big box-like installation in the middle. As they sat down in the make-shift café, with a pianist playing next to them, a full set of emotions overwhelmed. There might have even been a tear or two shed. Who says romance is dead? Definitely not Xu Zhi.
Photographs by Jason-Lloyd Evans.
