Yuhan Ao finds a new way home for his SS27 collection “No Longer Guided by the Haulers”

In a world where everyone wants to be a creative director, we need more skilled craftspeople. At least according to a post reshared by numerous fashion professionals on Instagram recently. It is not a surprising statement – in an AI era, where we are actively encouraged to skip ahead to the final product, time-consuming artistry and craftsmanship demand recognition. And few people understand that better than Chinese designer Yuhan Ao.

“I grew up in a textile company in China. When I was a child, I saw my grandma and grandpa, they would just spin the linen by hand. That’s why I respect all of the process,” the young designer told Noctis after debuting his SS27 collection “No Longer Guided by the Haulers”, the third time he has shown in London since graduating in 2024 from the London College of Fashion.

Ao’s early experience of the textile industry in his hometown had a direct influence on his design aesthetic. Seeing the linen fibres being spun traditionally instilled a high level of appreciation for the garment-making process, transcending fleeting trends to focus on the materials. Despite the effortlessly cool styling courtesy of Japanese stylist Mao Miyakoshi, the garments themselves highlighted the amount of labour required, with the construction process on full display. “You can see [that the collection] has so many tailoring pieces. We keep all of the stitching [visible]. […] So all of my audience, they know to respect the process too.”

“The inspiration [for this collection] came from the French poet, Arthur Rimbaud. And his poem, the name [of which] is The Drunken Boat. When I read the poem, I feel like it’s quite transformational […]. So we’re just trying to find a way to use the old material and the new technique to explore new elements.” Similarly to Rimbaud, a young 19th century poet who helped redefine modern poetry, Yuhan Ao wanted to reinvent the traditional materials he got to know as a young boy. The co-ed show featured a range of deconstructed tailored pieces juxtaposed with dramatic silhouettes and laidback staples to assemble a genderless capsule wardrobe, which could easily be shared by a stylish couple. A conservatively muted colour palette allowed the full attention to remain on the material and cut of the clothing.

Despite the collection’s title, it is clear that for “No Longer Guided by the Haulers” Yuhan Ao chose his heritage as his North Star. Yet, by mixing tradition with his desire to experiment, he managed to carve out a brand new path. And we cannot wait to see where it leads him next.