Swathed in the hues of vivid remembrances and steeped in the scents of a childhood spent in Fujian, China, the Spring/Summer 2024 collection by Feng Chen Wang evokes a powerful narrative of love, nostalgia, and reverence for ancestral traditions. The designer taps into the vein of forgotten childhood memories, making them tangible through textiles and colors. With a homage to the simplicity of times past and a respectful nod towards the tenacity of life, the Feng Chen Wang collection paints an exquisite tapestry that captures the ephemeral yet potent nature of human memory.
In this season, the fashion world witnesses a unique blend of ancient artistry and cutting-edge design as Wang takes us on a sartorial journey through her childhood memories. She replicates the vibrant impressions of her youthful days spent in the verdant mountains and along the winding rivers of Fujian, crafting a visual love letter to her grandmother’s cherished locales. The plants that graced her grandmother’s garden – onions, gallnuts, eucalyptus, and apple leaves – have found their way into the collection, each leaf and vein imprinted on traditional Chinese silk via an age-old botanical contact printing method.
Wang elucidates on the emotional inspiration behind the collection: “Some memories are very profound but somewhat vague, perhaps even mixed with some of my imagination, but my creative process shows a sense of colour change with strong emotions“. This sentiment shines through in the dreamlike color gradations that spill across her designs – hues of pink, blue, purple, and black evolve and rise, much like the crescendo of memories that breathe life into her creative vision.
The collection celebrates natural purity with silk taking the spotlight in Wang‘s palette of fabrics. Pristine cotton, a brand mainstay, complements the silk in denim pieces and t-shirts, while wool suits bearing the botanical prints add a refined touch. A vivid testament to her commitment to the craft, these patterns require meticulous handwork and multiple rounds of dyeing – a symphony of patient labor between Wang and local artisans.
Bridging the gap between the orient and the occident, this collection is a harmonious fusion of Chinese and Western aesthetics. The musical collective Nara Bara’s jazz-infused melodies wove an enchanting soundscape as models sauntered down the runway at the Lycée Montaigne, accentuating the ethereal ambiance.
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For Wang, the phoenix and dragon have always symbolized romantic love, a belief lovingly held by her grandmother. The Spring/Summer 2024 collection ushers in a new dragon pattern, a nod to the upcoming Year of the Dragon in China, symbolizing hopeful anticipation for a brighter year.
The finishing touches are the meticulously crafted accessories, fashioned out of natural materials – bamboo bags, hair clasps, wooden necklaces and a new line of Feng Chen Wang eyewear. These pieces elevate the narrative of the collection, aligning harmoniously with the reconstructed Nike apparel and footwear.
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