Emotionally charged, steeped in heritage, and unwaveringly beautiful, Zhaoyi Yu is a rising star redefining contemporary couture. With a design language built on vulnerable storytelling and ethereal craftsmanship, the designer behind the brand invites us into a dreamscape where fashion becomes fantasy.
Self-proclaimed “modern couture,” Yu’s work merges experimental techniques with the rich traditions of Chinese craftsmanship as a heartfelt nod to his upbringing. His debut show at London Fashion Week in 2024 saw mother of pearl expertly inlaid into textiles, a technique traditionally used in decorative arts, and creating real wearable artwork. Fresh off his MA from the London College of Fashion, this debut collection garnered him attention from Vogue, Elle, and 10 Magazine, making for a very strong start to his eponymous label.
Now in the process of creating his second collection for Spring/Summer 2026, we catch up with Yu to discuss fantasy, ADHD, and dream celebrity collaborations.
Can you talk us through the inspirations behind your debut runway collection?
I wanted to make something special for myself and for my background, as I was born into a traditional Chinese family. I wanted to make the collection look modern and avant-garde, but also tell a story inferred from Chinese heritage.
A very iconic textile I love is a mother of pearl inlay, which is inspired by traditional Chinese furniture. When I was a kid, my grandmother’s house had lots of furniture from like 100 years ago, made by hand and inlaid with this beautiful mother of pearl. These elements are really related to my grandparents and are inspired by them. I then tried to combine this with fabric to be wearable on a woman’s body, so I used very thin mother of pearl to combine it on the fabric, which is very hard. We tried lots of different textiles, silk, satin and polyester to try and find the best fabric, as it’s so fragile and easy to break.
This was my first show after graduating, so it was very important to me. I found the sponsor myself, and the location with one of my good friends. We went to so many different spaces, some were out of our budget and some didn’t match the scene, so we really put a lot of effort in. The experience made me grow a lot. Before I didn’t know what you needed to do to prepare a show, but now I really know how hard it is.
What was the experience like for you? Any unexpected moments?
Before the show I was so anxious and worried about everything, but during the show I really enjoyed it. You can see everyone’s reactions and they really appreciate your work. I felt so satisfied.
When we were finding the models it was all very last minute, we were so anxious about it! So we tried to connect with every agency and I tried to invite guests that I liked from Instagram. I just messaged them directly. It was so unexpected when I messaged the drag queen Tayce, I was planning to invite her to see the show, but she replied and said that she would love to walk for me! I was like “oh my god!” That meant a lot to me. I felt so honoured.
You talk a lot about fantasy – how does this manifest in your designs?
So, I have ADHD and so fantasy is a very important part of my life. Whatever I’m doing, daydreaming and fantasy always randomly come into my mind, so I really wanted to capture this moment in a different form and combine it with my work. For example, when I’m taking a bubble bath, it’s a moment where there is fantasy for me, because I feel so relaxed, so I was trying to capture this feeling. You can see in my work that a lot of elements represent water, so I wanted to build up this feeling when you’re having a shower or taking a bath and daydreaming.
When did you first become interested in pursuing a career in fashion design?
I was already interested in design when I was a kid. I started making paintings when I was like 3 or 4 years old. I loved painting and would do it every day. My mum kept all my work from when I was like 3 years old, so I can still be inspired by it now!
You call you brand ‘Next generation couture’ – can you elaborate on this?
The fashion industry changes so fast, and within the luxury market the customer is becoming younger and younger, so I wanted to make something for our generation. They have different tastes to the traditional couture customer. I wanted to create dresses that you don’t need to wear every day, but just for those special moments, and to bring something new to the industry.
Who would be your dream celebrity to dress?
There’s so many! Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Ariana Grande. Some of them have contacted me actually, but in the end they didn’t end up wearing it. But I’m sure in the future I’m going to dress them!
If you had to describe your creative process in 5 words or less, what would it be?
Um… I want to be surprised! I get inspiration very randomly, I have ADHD. When I have an idea, I write it down very quickly, and then the next day when I’m in a working mood I use a calmer energy to draw them up and transfer it to different textiles or draping on the mannequin.
Is there a material or technique that you’re currently obsessed with?
I want to explore more embroidery, particularly a type of Chinese embroidery, which is embroidery with silk thread. It’s quite hard though, I couldn’t do it by myself, so I would have to find a studio in China to see if they could help me make a little sample. I’d also like to combine it with French embroidery, because they have 3D patterns, whereas the Chinese traditional ones only have 2D, so I think putting them together would be fun.
Growing up in China would you say that’s had a big impact on your inspirations?
Yes, definitely, but I would say London has also influenced me a lot. I moved to London in 2021, just after Covid. It really brought me to a totally different world, as London and Shanghai are such different cities. They do have similarities as they are both modern, but their culture and people are so different. So now I pretty much mix the two cultures in my work.
If you weren’t designing clothes, what would you be doing?
Probably making jewellery or I’d be an interior designer. Creating your fantasy house or dream space sounds good to me!
Do you have any dream collaborators?
I really want to collaborate with a jewellery brand. It might be quite hard, but I’d love to collaborate with Bulgari. I love their jewellery, the colour, and craftsmanship!
What’s next for the brand?
The next step is to finish my new collection and arrange my next show! I’m deciding whether I do my next show in London or Shanghai. I’m looking for a space for this show at the moment, if it’s in Shanghai it will be in October, and if it’s in London it will be in September. I will invite you!
Follow Zhaoyi Yu on Instagram
Words: Sylvia Shoshan
Photography: Sanem Ozman, Jude Black