Latest news with #HuishanZhang
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Huishan Zhang's latest line channels socialites and sophistication.
Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang For his Resort 2026 collection, London-based designer Huishan Zhang looked to one of the most infamous New York socialites, Nan Kempner. A woman known for her presence and influence in fashion and society, she was a generation-defining socialite who's circle included the chic and and the cultured, from Yves Saint Laurent (he once described her having 'the body of a hanger' which she took as the highest compliment), to Diana Vreeland, Bill Blass, and fellow uptown girl Babe Paley. Nan Kempner and Kenneth Jay Lane, preview, Christie's auction house, New York, New York, 1989. (Photo by) Getty Images She exuded elegance but she wasn't without a rebellious streak, famously dining at a brasserie in just her Saint Laurent blazer after being told trousers weren't allowed. It was defiance but Nan made it chic, and it's exactly this spirit that Zhang channels in his latest collection. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang Expect his signature head-turning silhouettes, sophistication and feminine strength, as well as embroidery that serves as both intricate decoration and armor. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang Here, Zhang talks about his latest collection, from muses to couture mastery, structure to softness, and eternal elegance. Huishan Zhang: For me, Nan's beauty truly embodies a natural sophistication that is paired with a rebellious spirit that is totally unapologetic yet so refined. This is what really sets the tone for this collection. We can't talk about Nan without mentioning that iconic moment of her removing her Saint Laurent trousers and nonchalantly wearing just the jacket to dine at a brasserie. Her confidence is assertive but with no intention to intimidate. That's exactly the spirit that I wanted to capture for Resort 26. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang HZ: Elegance versus rebellion is a key theme that runs through this collection. Nan's rebellion was never loud or vulgar but always quietly confident and effortlessly elegant. That was the energy I wanted to convey in this collection and in the clothes. From the strength of the tailoring and structure of the tweed sets, and subversiveness of our faux leather that is balanced by the sensuality of the embroidered slip dresses and the softness and fluidity of the evening wear. It's this idea of the elements that contrast harmoniously coinciding together. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang FC: How did you approach the tension between masculine tailoring and feminine detail? HZ: It goes back to this interplay between softness and structure. I wanted to build a synergy between the juxtaposition of masculine tailoring and feminine sensuality. The silhouette in the collection is defined by the tension between fluidity and form. Structure builds the core of this collection, and the fluid fabrics, delicate sheer layering and intricate embellishments gives character and emotion. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang FC: The embroidery is described as both armour and adornment, which look reflects this the most? HZ: Look 3 is a good reflection of this notion. The embroidery and embellishment on the sensual sheer soft slip skirt adds a decadent and decorative element, but it also creates a layer of weight and structure that accentuates the silhouette and acts as a protective cage-like armour that shields the lower body. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang FC: How does the Resort 2026 collection connect to what you've done before and where you're going? HZ: For me it's about creating a design language that consistently continues to empower confidence in femininity, and to reinforce the strength of quiet elegance. For Resort 2026, I wanted to make the identity and portrait of our woman more vivid and assertive, and how she dresses and what she wears is just a natural extension of her character. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang FC: What's one detail in this collection that people might miss but that means a lot to you? HZ: The fabrication in all the tailoring pieces in this collection has elasticity in them, which you will not be aware of from just the images. Although the cuts are structured and tailored in its silhouette, the stretch in the fabric allows for movement and comfort. It's important for me that the woman wearing my collections feels confident and can approach her every day with ease. The feeling of restraint and restriction in clothing kills one's confidence completely. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang FC: What's one rule of elegant dressing that always guides your approach? HZ: The one rule to elegant dressing is that it needs to feel natural and not imposed. For me, true elegance comes from within, and the clothing and how your dress should just effortlessly compliment that. Huishan Zhang Resort '26 collection Huishan Zhang See more on
Vogue
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Huishan Zhang Resort 2026 Collection
Huishan Zhang started working on his resort collection in tandem with spring, shown last September. 'You feel like you have more time to properly think things through,' the designer said of ideating collections simultaneously. Having spoken to Zhang over several seasons, he gives off a tangible feeling of being in his groove: he's hired several new team members, secured a new studio in East London, and says everything is 'running smoothly.' His customers will be happy to see that the new collection caters to Zhang's usual wardrobe touch points: prim daytime separates (some with faux-fur trims) in bouclé and denim, and plenty of dresses, varied in volume and finish. At a preview, he singled out a feather-kissed, hand-embellished minidress lined with silk, another minidress in his signature, hard-to-crease satin with embroidered crystals all over, and a maxi with a wing-like side train connected to the shoulder, made from a new stretch fabric. 'I really want to create a design language,' he said, adding: 'For resort, we wanted to make [our] woman's portrait more vivid.' This sentiment was translated via the faux-leather elements and the darker-toned looks––the same cue of 'elegance versus rebellion,' that he explored last season, was a theme yet again––realized in '1960s-inspired' silhouettes. As ever, a muse grounded the spirit of the collection. This time for Zhang, it was Nan Kempner, who famously removed her trousers when denied entry to a New York restaurant for defying its dress code; instead wearing her Saint Laurent Le Smoking jacket as a dress.
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How the pearl is making a dramatic new statement – think less twinset, more modern-day diva thanks to Givenchy, Chanel, Mikimoto, Tiffany & Co and Huishan Zhang
When Sarah Burton showcased her debut collection for Givenchy in March, it felt like a strong, contemporary interpretation of the maison's classic style – less Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and more modern-day diva. Burton had been inspired by archival patterns of Hubert de Givenchy's original 1952 debut that were found during renovations of his first atelier. She took those structured silhouettes and gave them a dramatic, up-to-the-minute turn in pieces like a jewelled top with broken-chandelier elements and glass pearls, and lots of outlandishly large pearl earrings. Sarah Burton's debut collection at Givenchy at the autumn/winter 2025 shows featured this show-stopping jewel top. Photo: Givenchy Burton was not alone in her inspiration. Chanel is synonymous with pearls, but the brand's autumn/winter 2025 catwalk saw the volume increase dramatically, creating a cross-body loop graduating in diameter from 2mm on the shoulder to at least 5mm draped on the hip. There were also colourful long-line knits layered with extra long sautoirs of enormous pearls. Advertisement Meanwhile, golf ball-sized pearls dangled from the lobes of models at Huishan Zhang. They were dressed in chic pinstripe pantsuits and 60s style brocade evening gowns for a collection inspired by the rebellious style of Edie Sedgwick, the American heiress and Andy Warhol muse who died aged 28, as well as the glamour of the Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann's novel set in 1960s California. 'I used oversized, eye-catching pearls to flip the idea of traditional femininity,' explains Zhang. ' Pearls are usually seen as classic and proper, but here they're bold and theatrical – a statement about rewriting the rules and celebrating women who define themselves on their own terms.' A model walks the runway at the Huishan Zhang autumn/winter 2025 show wearing oversized pearl earrings. Photo: Huishan Zhang These ballooning pearls are, of course, far larger than what nature can provide. But their popularity on the catwalk and among stylists has put large pearls, natural and otherwise, in the spotlight. The largest natural pearls are the saltwater South Sea and Tahitian species, whose allure is drawing a new, younger fan base. 'There's definitely been a strong resurgence of interest in bold, large-scale pearl pieces but also pearl jewellery in general,' says Ruby Autore, who is head of marketing at the family-run Autore Group, one of the world's largest South Sea pearl companies. She points out how short strands have become especially popular, offering a contemporary edge to a classic look; Autore's drop earrings featuring sizeable South Sea pearls are a consistent bestseller and in high demand. 'Clients and stylists alike are gravitating towards these impactful designs that showcase the beauty of the pearl,' she says. Tasaki Atelier's Aurora 2020 ring featuring South Sea pearls and white diamonds. Photo: Tasaki
