Okay, babes, Ray Chu just dragged us all to Taiwan’s midnight shores, sprinkled Swarovski all over the sand, and whispered: “resilience, but make it hot.” SS26 wasn’t a show; it was a fever dream of glowing plankton, sexy tailoring, and gossip served with a capital T.
First up: the suiting. Shoulders so sharp you could slice through the patriarchy. Waists cinched tighter than your bestie’s Finsta bio. Entire looks crystallised in Swarovski, blinding the front row like disco-ball armour for oceanic warriors. Dresses didn’t just shimmer, they radiated.
Then Chu said: Let’s get weird with textiles. Jackets that smell like mint?? T-shirts made from crystalline ice plants that literally cool your skin?? Excuse me, apparently we’re doing climate crisis couture now and it slaps. Sustainable, sensual, and a little freaky, exactly how we like it.
The colour story? VIVID. Fire-reds like flares on a midnight beach. Cornflower blues dripping ocean energy. Lemon yellow that screamed summer rave until dawn. Prints designed with Peng Cong zoomed in and out of glowing organisms, think macro, micro, cosmic, chaotic.
And then a splash of essential eyewear with Victor Wong. Architectural “W” frames that hold tiny interchangeable flowers. Why? Because Chu said your face deserves accessories too, hun.
Oh, and did we mention TENGA’s back? Yep, Japan’s kings of sex toys re-teamed with Chu for a collab that screamed “Spill the T.” Clothes printed with the slogan, echoing wave textures from TENGA’s cups, bringing sex positivity, humour, and a wink of filth straight onto the runway. Tailoring + sextoys + ocean lore = the holy trinity we didn’t know we needed.
Bottom line, Ray Chu just proved fashion can be poetic AND unhinged, sacred AND slutty, sustainable AND camp. SS26 was not just a collection, it was a manifesto served with Swarovski glare and a minty aftertaste.
20th September 2024. A model walks in the Rayn Chu Spring Summer 2025 Catwalk show. ©Olu Ogunshakin / Chris Yates Media
Words by Lewis Robert Cameron
RAY CHU @raychustudios
PR DYELOG @dyelogpr
PRODUCTION LUKA DIJAN @luka.dijan
CHOREOGRAPHY GO2SHOW @go2show
CASTING CHARMAINE LAGO @charmainelago
CASTING ASSISTANT MAGGIE WANG @maggiew
CASTING ASSISTANT MICHAEL LEONARDO @michaelxleonardo
STYLING LILY RIMMER @lilyrimr
HAIR TONI & GUY @toniandguy
MAKE UP MICHELLE WEBB @michellewebb
SET DESIGN NALANI JULIEN @nalanijulien
MUSIC CLAIRE @tingrunrun
PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER OLU OGUNSHAKIN @oogunshakin
SPONSORS
TENGA @tenga_global
SHOES STEVE MADDEN @stevemadden
TIGHTS HEIST STUDIOS @heiststudios
SUNGLASSES VICTOR WONG @victorwongofficial
DRINKS 1664 Blanc UK @1664ukblanc
SNEAKER AKOYI
NAILS MVK @mvk.ua led by @piscun_lesia, @victoriastorozhenko
VENUE BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
