Feng Chen Wang Spring 2018 – New York Fashion Week Men’s

Chinese menswear designer Feng Chen Wang’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection attempts to upend the negative connotations of the moniker “Made in China” and redefine it for Western audiences. Adopting a palette that not only evokes the Chinese flag but also the country’s rural landscape, the colors allow the clothes to pop. Her use of red, a symbolic color in China, is sparing but particularly effective. With just six out of 25 outfits featuring the signature bright red tone, the vibrancy of that color really captures the eyes’ attention and drowns out an otherwise minimalist take. The interplay between muted tones of navy and soft pink, accompanied by a sparing use of plaid-patterned garments, also leads to an interesting fusion of old world and a modernist aesthetic.

Wang emblazons the “Made in China” phrase on a few tops, yet nothing about her new collection appears cheap or low quality. The jackets, trousers, and tops are exceptionally tailored and her signature use of multi-pocketing, as well as a mesh overlay, lends the clothes a patina of futurism as well as functionality.  One also must pay attention to the androgynous cuts in the outfits. Many of the tops could easily double as women’s blouses, and the assured blend of baggy and form fitting is a true marrying of East and West.

Photos: Feng Chen Wang Spring 2018 – New York Fashion Week Men’s
all photos courtesy of Purple PR