Fleurdelism’, Xander Zhou’s SS13 collection drew inspiration from the great outdoors, translating the iconic marriage of the delicate lily and heraldic coat of arms into a collection which expressed “the principles of the environment”.
Toying with the connotations of the boy-scout through neckerchief-inspired collars and hyperbolic patterning stimulated by striped tent canvas, Zhou presented a collection rife with youthful energy and sophisticated design skill. Continuing the theme, an earthy palette of green and brown was set off by fabrics featuring abstract tree-bark patterning. Meanwhile elements such as drawstring waists and magnetic buttons were a playful reference to this youthful ideology, with the hint of an over-sized silhouette suggesting “space to grow”.
Predominately fabricated from silk blended with wool and nylon, light material was stitched together to create a surprisingly fluid density. Zhou truly paraded his design aptitude with the introduction of lightweight dungarees, exemplifying the collection’s focus on the notion that a larger idea can spark a series of stimulated threads of development – or in Zhou’s case, ‘-isms’. Clean whites kept the look refined, while a faint nod to classic tailoring allowed the general look to remain on the right side of refined. Manipulating metonyms, Zhou is re-establishing perceptions with a collection teetering perfectly between boy and man.