Between the small and big screens, sex is on the mind again, from Disney+’s “Rivals” to Nicole Kidman in “Babygirl” and Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer.” But Huishan Zhang has been rewatching the 1967 erotic classic “Belle de Jour” starring Catherine Deneuve, which Yves Saint Laurent designed the costumes for.
His pre-fall collection included the buttoned peacoats and the color red that are prominently used in the film.
Zhang went further and added his own sultry touches such as black fishnet tights; peeks of flesh under a shirt arm or at the shoulders of a dress, as well as an embellished cheongsam with a slit up to the mid-thigh.
“It’s seduction, but in a controlled way,” said the designer, who calls himself a proud dressmaker, which is the reason why he spends so much time in his atelier in China so he can pattern-cut the pieces himself and to discuss the finishing touches with his seamstresses in person.
This collection uses refined and concise silhouettes fit for Zhang’s clientele of socialites in China, modest dressers of the Middle East and London’s party girls — which when all put together builds a full wardrobe, which is the designer’s mission.
The lineup included opera coats printed with a floral illustration inspired by ‘60s wallpaper designed in-house; trenchcoats decorated with beaded embroidery, and black or white guipure lace dresses and two-pieces.
Zhang said each piece in the collection had threads of couture techniques running through them, even the separates such as the denim jeans or shacket that was embroidered with crystals in the shape of clustered flowers.
With the festive season already underway in London, the designer’s colorful designs have taken over a large space on the women’s floor at Selfridges for a two-month pop-up. Zhang’s label is also stocked at Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Liberty.
“I feel like I’m such a Londoner even when I’m in China. I have very strong roots with the London crowd, they’ve always supported an individual designer like myself and it’s so important to me that these department stores have been willing to take a risk on me and help me to develop,” he said.
