This collection by Jacques Vey was created in 20 days. Taking a look once again at his show space in an extravagant salon on top of a boutique hotel in Huangpu – Wei is one of two major names in Shanghai who shows off-schedule and independently at Shanghai Fashion Week – the designer said there were two big reasons for this madness.
First: Jacques Wei is H&M’s newest designer collaborator. They have created a collection that will be available across Asia-Pacific early next year in celebration of Chinese New Year. The 30 or so pieces reflect her gorgeous aesthetic, only at more accessible prices, and feature golden brooches in the shape of a horse to commemorate the Year of the Horse. Second: Wei spent most of the time allotted for this collection working on his clothes. He said material was a priority this time around, which was a clever way to differentiate between his eponymous collection and the one he created for the affordable fashion giant.
Wei works based on instinct and his general mood, and it must be said that he is a brilliant vibe-architect. This season he looked to the 1980s, referencing colours, materials and proportions. Talking about the format of the era, he said, “It feels like a fun time.” “I think we all need it, I know I need it,” he explained.
True to form, he leaned towards the bourgeois form of the decade. Wei used hammered silk brocade in deep midnight blue and gold, the former decorated with flower-like clusters of beads and sequins and the latter with bugle beads and shimmering paillettes. He cut these materials into mini skirts and collarless jackets with strong shoulders, which also appeared on jersey blouses whose collars fit close to the neck but were open at the back: “Now to make it more,” he said, “it’s more sensual and less covered up.”
Wei said she finds jersey the most forgiving — a promising find for a designer who works mostly with silk and georgette, fabrics that reveal every crease, pucker and stitch. She layered and wore it with a flowy mini and frilly top and a super flattering column gown, all with a flirtatious joie de vivreThis was in contrast to the abundance of neutrals on the runways in Shanghai and elsewhere this season. If the economic landscape has subdued fashion to a state of ennui, that is not the case with Jacques Vey. He actually makes clothes for non-conformists. And how fun it was to see her colors and prints in a sea of ivory silk and black stitching.
