Last week, East London’s Protein Studios played host to Fashion Scout China, a runway presentation aimed at showcasing the very best emerging talent in China. After taking a season off in 2023, the show is back with a vengeance, displaying the work of eight new up-and-coming names: VINCENT LI, VICETA WANG, QIKE QILO, BLACKNINI, witHemera wardrobe, VITAL AO, YING OU, and yuyuncollection.
The show opens with witHemera wardrobe, a New York-based label founded by Hemera Luo. The first look, an all-white gown and matching headpiece, is almost a red herring, as the looks that follow are some of the brightest, most-eye catching ones we see all night. The collection concerns itself with the interplay between fluidity and structure, taking cues from the designer’s fascination with nature, particularly sea creatures found off the Sicilian coast. We see a series of sculptural, iridescent gowns – think Barbie Mermaidia, but make it fashion. Luo makes use of silicone and biological dyes to give the garments their ethereal, oceanic feel. These particular designs are inspired by sineromelia, which the designer explains as a type of performance art found in Sicily, but Google explains as a rare congenital condition otherwise known as ‘mermaid syndrome’. Either way, we’re off to a breathtaking start.
BLACKNINI’s looks take the runway next with a quiet confidence, demonstrating why the label has grown into one of China’s most revered tweed brands. It’s difficult to present tweed womenswear without feeling indebted to Chanel, but these garments stand on their own, providing a welcome update to a sometimes stuffy aesthetic. We see belted blazers, floor-length outerwear, matching sets, and luxurious gold accents. At no point does the collection feel too formal or preppy, owing to the shimmery materials and varying textural elements – including leather – that do well to break up the abundance of tweed.
VICETA WANG presents one of my favourite looks of the evening – a dreamy pink caplet-esque top paired with a swooshing, floor-length skirt. All the models walk slowly, allowing us to take in every inch of the label’s signature structured tailoring. This limited edition collection showcases Wang’s impressive technique, particularly through the opening look – a blue satin bubble skirted dress tapered in at the ankle, complete with a structured bodice. The collection features pearls throughout, combining contemporary aesthetics, cultural influences and modern design.Â
Up next is VINCENT LI, who offers a refreshing take on genderless, sustainable fashion. The brand’s SS25 collection, ‘Dawn’s Awakening’, is intended to reflect personal style and vulnerability through pieces of wearable art. The garments feel cool – multicoloured fabrics invoke sunrises and sunsets as the collection carries on, ending with more interspersed shades of grey, as if to signal the arrival of night. We see a variety of oversized blazers paired with trousers and skirts adorned with large pleats. I particularly enjoy the fuzzy, neon shoes, which I feel are an apt reflection of the brand’s ethos, ‘beauty exists because perfection does not’.
The soundscape changes to deep, thumping bass as VITAL AO’s menswear collection bursts onto the runway. Fresh from the hallowed ateliers of the London College of Fashion, the label’s ‘HAZARD’ collection is strong, giving us a glimpse into the designer’s deeply personal experience of confronting the void. The two-look collection features a leather jacket with large protruding shoulder spikes, a man’s face printed onto a mesh skirt layered, a translucent zip-up jacket, and a hakama-esque trouser skirt, all paired with sky-high platform boots. Despite outward toughness, I find a certain softness to the ensembles – there’s some kind of vulnerability in putting your armour on display.
UK-based label QIKE QILO sends one look down the runway, which sparks some confusion in the audience. But designer Lei Qin’s singular ensemble is intended to showcase her debut jewellery collection, Acqua Waves, which features four signature pieces: the Cascade earrings, Tide necklace, Ripple bracelet, and Wave ring. Crafted from 18k recycled gold and non-toxic enamel, each piece scintillates under the studio lights – I only wish I’d been backstage before the show to see them up close.
Before YING UO’s looks take the stage, the gentleman sitting next to me asks me to record the presentation, as the designer is his girlfriend. I oblige and use his phone to film the runway as he photographs each look, determined to capture each piece in the London-based footwear designer’s ‘Awakening’ collection. Staying true to her signature blend of traditional shoemaking customs with technology, the ‘Awakening’ collection uses techniques rooted in metalwork, rub-off leather and 3-D printing to actualise the designer’s own fears surrounding the modern relationship between the human body, self consciousness, and public spaces.
We reach the end of the night with yunyuncollection, and each look is greeted by a soft chorus of oohs and ahs. The label’s SS25 collection takes inspiration from the relationship between humanity and the natural world, deploying traditional Chinese heritage techniques to bridge the gap with modern design practices. The flowing gowns appear in taupe, beige and brown hues, interspersed with a couple ethereal all-white ensembles. The showstopper is a gorgeous draped sleeveless gown, complete with an intricate floral wood carving placed across the chest. The model wears a hat, obscuring her face and placing full emphasis on the designer’s craftsmanship. The collection feels like the perfect send off – a veil of calm envelopes the room as we sit still for a moment, basking in yunyuncollection’s spiritual oasis for as long as we can before the lights go up.
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Words: Madeline Anderson
Photography: Melissa Anaman