Idyllic rays of sunshine and Polish florals suddenly give way to a futurist couture club world caught between electro sounds and laser effects – a debut collection opening of opposites. Wan Hung Cheung’s S/S 2015 Menswear Collection sees Chinese design clash with Eastern European folklore and celebrates all the confusion with a grand light show. And so he should. Haute couture for men is rare and different. As ShowStudio video,"Folktron, shows in all its explosions of colours.
Wan Hung Cheung from Hong Kong studied at renowned Central Saint Martins College in London, where the world’s biggest design talents are nurtured. Thanks to his contemporary mens haute couture he ensured he was the exception to the rule there too and so he decided to stay in the experimental English fashion metropolis to set up his own label after graduating in 2014.
The video of the collection is presented by ShowStudio, Nick Knight’s celebrated "Home of Fashion Film". The team included director Au Matt, DOP Kajetan Plis plus Andrew Burns and Tomasz Bochniak for Editing. Piotr W is the star of the video, treated to grooming by Monika Kropat and Kentaro Kondo, plus styling by Paku Sukuda. Production: Aleksandra Graczyk.
On the collection:All of the garments and shoes are inspired by a combination of classic pyjama and suit elements; rendered in a striking palette of mainly white, blue, red, and black. His garments are all made of silk, crystals and reflective PVC with Couture level multi- layered 3-D embroidery, which shows his dedication to the craftsmanship.
The concept that Ageing is the accumulation of changes in a person over time is the basis for the collection’s narration. It starts with white outfit entirely covered in glow-in-dark thread with crystals hidden underneath, which in the words of the designer himself works as a metaphor for a ‘new born child pure as rough diamond and protected by the softness of white fluffy fabric’. White is used to symbolize the beginning, innocence and perfection which is later replaced by blues and reds inspired by a baby boy/girl tones. Gaining life experience removes these protective layers revealing our colourful crystals in their full shine and glory- time in life, which Cheung refers to as The Golden Age. The final transformation is into luxurious and elegant black crystals covered in semi transparent silk organza, signifying the point when one becomes mature.
Just like some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time while others decline, in Cheung's collection embroidery diversifies from flat white to a full blown multi-layered 3-D swarovski crystal extravaganza. wanhungcheung.com