Right now Fashion weeks across the globe are shutting their doors and dismantling physical catwalks in favour of virtual runways, turning designers completely digital in what is already a predominantly digital era. Let’s be honest, the majority of fashion weeks have become outdated, they’re expensive and underwhelmingly dull as the glory days of McQueen, Margiela, Galiano, colossal budgets and dramatic eccentricities have been and gone.
Words by Lewis Robert Cameron @lrcfashionstylist
Designer @angelchenstudio
What’s left is a front row of irrelevant influencers, compiled mostly of Millenials recording their daily breathing routine, a sea of commercial collections, as fast fashion and design copies reach the high street at a much quicker rate, and constrained or confused designers. Fashion weeks are without a doubt due to a revolution and with the current pandemic keeping us isolated and indoors it has finally forced a swift and long-awaited change in how we absorb a designer’s body of work.
Enter Angel Chen. A Chinese designer and Central Saint Martins graduate who recently debuted her AW20 collection via virtual runway at the all-online Shanghai Fashion Week. Inspired by the 1988 film Akira, sustainable sci-fi exploded across a digital catwalk in the form of a concrete colosseum and crumbling planets complete with leather-clad motorcyclists, lightening and gravitational rock drops. That’s a backdrop of floating rocks for anyone who wasn’t aware.
Resulting in a beautiful visual in a heavy tech-saturated display presenting both menswear and womenswear in a modern futurist approach. The oversized hats and bright eco-friendly furs were a welcome familiarity from Chen’s previous works as a primary colour palette took shape with metallic accents throughout. Contrasting textures and volumes kept the 3D elements of Chen’s designs come to life in new dimensions with fifty per cent of materials recycled from plastic bottles and upcycled Swarvoski crystals.
An exquisite collection is full of luxury statement power-dressing for the future in a bold and beautiful presentation, worthy of a tear or two. Check the impressive visual for Angel Chen AW20 below. Crying is not optional. www.angelchen.com
