Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang delivered the most electrifying showcase at Shanghai Fashion Week this season, largely due to the enthusiastic crowd of Shushu/Tong enthusiasts who gathered at the Labelhood venue. The brand’s allure was encapsulated in Lei’s description of their collection titled The Invented Self: “She’s the kind of girl who has her own character outside of the family.”
Their collection drew inspiration from the 1978 Claude Chabrol film Violette Nozière, featuring Isabelle Huppert as a 1930s teenager who defies her oppressive family in a tragic rebellion. Lei and Jiang incorporated a variety of 1930s and 1940s fashion silhouettes, adding their signature hyper-stylized and ultra-feminine touch. A recurring theme throughout the collection was the ceremonially crooked right elbow, used to hang a house handbag in nearly every ensemble.
The collection included shrunken opaque cardigans, plaid pencil skirts, stirrup knee socks, and ruffle-edged gowns in crushed velvet that flowed like stage curtains. Peter Pan collared swing coats and neatly tailored shift dresses contributed to the ladylike imagery Lei and Jiang crafted for their muse. As seen frequently at Shanghai Fashion Week, there were also drop-waisted dresses and skirts adorned with plentiful bows.
The audience’s excitement confirmed the appeal of these near-costume-like full looks, designed for personal reinvention. However, the pieces that moved away from strict period drama offered more individuality. Standout pieces included Look 17’s ruffle-seamed track-skirt-suit in washed lemon nylon and quarter-zip, drop-waisted pleat-skirted dresses in a rich, dense cotton mix, seen in looks 2 and 29. This track top, paired with shorts and presented in baby blue on a male model, was one of several instances where the designers successfully demonstrated their womenswear on men.
