The China Collective

“I design for a woman that is optimistic, poetic and independent,” says Xuzhi Chen, Chinese-born founder of London-based label Xu Zhi China. But this is no idle boast for Chen's artful clothes practically burst with bold, lyrical splashes of colour.

Having worked in the studios of J.W. Anderson and Craig Green, a fierce individualist streak courses through Chen's designs. His Spring Summer 2016 collection was an elegant experimentation in texture. He uses voluminous yarn to create painterly swirls around the garments. His Autumn Winter 2015 coats and dresses featured hazy splashes of red, yellow, blue and grey, akin to a watercolour, showcasing his innate ability to bring hues and patterns together into delightful harmony.  “We love using simple, traditional techniques like braiding and quilting in new ways to present something completely fresh,” says Chen.

Most recently, Chen was nominated as a semi-finalist for the 2016 LVMH Prize for young fashion designers.

Handpicked, antique fabrics get a worthy and stylish second life through the work of Walid Al Damirji, founder of By Walid. But the clothes “are by no means just second-hand fabrics. They have gone through the tunnel of history,” he says. Linen from the 1920s, 18th-century embroidery and 19th-century paisley prints are reworked into simple silhouettes with clean finishes at the hands of this fashion-industry veteran.

By Walid’s collection for Lane Crawford features antique Chinese fabrics, which he calls simply “amazing”. “China is the oldest culture in the world! Each piece tells a wonderful story,” he enthuses. The coats and jackets use flower and geometric patterns in hues of purple, dark green and black. They make versatile, one-off pieces, designed to treasure for years to come.

Unexpected takes on Chinese and Western elements, both traditional and modern, give Jin Chong Yu’s designs for his eponymous label Jinnnn a thought-provoking, progressive edge. The Zhejiang-born designer initially trained to be an opera singer before moving to Paris to study fashion. “For me, design is the same as music. It’s a universal language – it’s boundless,” says Jin.

Jin often takes traditional Chinese materials and techniques, including colourful embroidery of the Miao (a Chinese ethnic group), and reinterprets them with an artful, rock ‘n’ roll sensibility. His latest Spring Summer 2016 collection saw him use denim in a myriad of inventive ways: blouses and tops with woven lattice detailing, jackets with embroidered slit sides, deconstructed shirt dresses. “To be yourself – that’s my fundamental philosophy. People won’t stick to a certain style forever, but they will stick to themselves,” he says.

For her exclusive capsule collection for Lane Crawford, designer Uma Wang dived deep into her Chinese heritage to find inspiration in the bold indigo colour that characterises the clothes worn by Chinese tribes. The pieces take Wang’s signature mix of materials in a new, romantic direction.

As one of the first internationally successful Chinese designers, Wang says her national heritage is an integral part of her design process. However, she adds that “going to Central Saint Martins opened up [her] mind to new ways of seeing things.”

In this collection, delicate silks blend with fine linens and elastic to give the pieces softly layered, fluid shapes. Her use of pure cotton and cashmere provide a subtle, easy-to-wear touch. “Fabric is everything to me,” says Wang. “When I discover a fabric, I can immediately envisage the shape of the dress in it. It’s the easiest way to transform my passion and creativity into something unique and novel.”