Chinese fashion designer Rui Zhou kicked off the fall season with a brand new moniker: Rui Built.
In addition to addressing a trademark concern, she told WWD it was her way of symbolizing her effort to rebuild — pun intended — the female body stereotype through intricate knits but also introduce a broader range, particularly less revealing styles for those not quite ready to put themselves fully on display.
For them, Zhou offered knit ensembles that skimmed the body without constricting it, offering flashes of skin through laddering that played into her body-positive ethos. Even easier ways to dip a toe into the Rui Built aesthetic were cropped knitted tops and a laid-back jersey set livened up with contrasting raised seams modeled on the web-like patterns of her inventive knitting technique.
There were of course plenty for early fans, which include the likes of Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion and Jennie of Blackpink, with new variations on her signature skin-tight knitted body suits.
Her concern for practicality was also seen in her second collaboration with Adidas, slotted into her fall 2024 lineup. She proposed cutout performance underlayers made of stretchy fabric and rubber sandals based on the shape of a ballet shoe.
“Last season I worked with Adidas’ training line. This time, it’s with the brand’s sportswear main line. I was inspired by pole dancing and jazz performance. Therefore the pieces can cater to big body movements often seen in these dance routines,” said Zhou.
