“What remains after beauty is gone?” It was a charming nod to designers Liushu “Shushu” Lei and Yutong “Tong Tong” Jiang, who have created an aesthetically concise and tightly packed world at Shushu/Tong, a brand synonymous with a particular kind of beauty — prim, sophisticated, put-together.
This season, he appeared eager to challenge those ideals, and the exercise produced a compelling collection that was satisfying and at times surprising. After the show, Shushu said that the duo have pushed themselves to explore different productions and materials. Ten years later, the pair have a strong body of work – there’s no better time to play.
It’s no coincidence that this Shanghai Fashion Week was full of milestone anniversaries. Labelhood, the retail-cum-incubator that has helped establish labels like Shushu/Tong, celebrated its 20th season, and Samuel Gui Yang also completed a decade in business. The city’s fashion industry is still young, but some of its defining talents are formidable, and Shushu/Tong is one of its more influential. Their peers often recognize their cues – a little flared dress, a painstakingly decorated blazer, the power of a well-placed logo. So this season, Lei and Jiang reversed their signatures.
What in the past were peplums in wool crepe or suiting fabric became layers and layers of light cotton, dyed to look vintage. The most body-hugging silhouettes were cut in leather (a tailored cocktail dress, a paneled skirt), while lace dresses were worn over contrasting underwear. Sheaths, cut looser than usual, were styled over colorful bodices or cropped knit sweaters. The whole thing was nicer and more subtle.
