February 7, 2022 |
On your marks, get set, go! The 2022 Winter Olympics are well underway with the glorious opening ceremony taking place on Friday night. Flag bearers from around the world took the stage, marching down a wavy pathway with flags in hand to honour their home countries.
With the games taking place in Beijing, all eyes were on the local flag bearers who closed the ceremony. Recognised as one of China’s most talented rising creatives, Feng Chen Wang was commissioned to design the opening ceremony uniforms for the hosting country. In collaboration with the Olympics Chief Director Yi-mou Zhang, their joint creative vision was to create a made-to-measure single uniform design that would grace the backs of all six flag bearers, regardless of age or gender.
“We designed a Chinese landscape of mountains and rivers in sky blue and glacial white, alongside iconic buildings and Olympic landmarks printed on puffer jackets,” says Wang. The uniform’s tailoring comes inspired by traditional Chinese suiting which includes a Mandarin standing collar and frog knot closures. Adding in her own trademark, the designer introduced an oversized fit that reflects her personal streetwear aesthetic. “My high-end streetwear fashion is very different to the world of costume design that Yi-Mou Zhang works with but working together we were able to compliment each other,” she says. For the young designer, the experience has been a career milestone. “As a small independent brand, it’s been amazing to be part of this journey,” she says.
Photography courtesy of Feng Chen Wang.
