Founded by Samuel Guidong Yang in London in 2015, Samuel Guì Yang is today one of China’s most prominent fashion exports. Yang himself is also something of a hometown hero with a thoughtful East-meets-West aesthetic that has come to define New Chinese Style. Since 2017 Yang has been designing the collection alongside his partner and co-founder Erik Litzén. This season, they celebrated the label’s 10th anniversary with a show at the Rockbund Art Museum, a beautiful example of Shanghai’s unique blend of eastern and western architecture that has sat at the intersection of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek since 1932.
“It felt nice to be able to be nostalgic about what we’ve done,” Litzén said, “even though it’s hard for designers to be nostalgic because you want to make something new.” Yang expanded: “You have memories, and then you can create—you cannot create on nothing. It felt good to reflect on what we have done and be honest about it.”
The collection did include some reissues, like a rubber sweater vest from an early outing and their original red dress, first introduced in 2017. A particularly stunning piece was a jacket first from 2019 that’s tailored and slim but fills out at the hip. All were made with better fabrics and the precise cutting they’re known for. Watching the show it felt like a privilege to witness designers like these evolve over time.
But there was also newness, most of it very good and executed with confidence. “When you have 10 years under your belt you take more chances,” Litzén said. Their newfound boldness came primarily in the shape of interesting volumes: a ballgown-like apron, a grand shoulder drape, some dramatic wraps, and even a pretty fabulous veil on a baseball cap. These punctuated the pragmatism of great trousers, easy eveningwear, and some fantastic windbreakers. “I think we managed to get a good flow,” Litzén concluded.
Apropos, the duo said that for this collection they ruminated on the lunar cycle and its effect on tides and waves—the ebb and flow of energy, the natural rhythm of the ocean. It’s a poetic way of reflecting on their own growth, but it had a practical effect on their collection, too. These were clothes that looked as good coming as they did going. “We wanted something that felt grand, like a big wave,” said Yang. May the next decade be just that.
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