The Shanghai-based designer Feng Chen Wang Men’s Spring 2023 in Paris gave Paris a taste of her tailoring, more knitwear and a teaser of her upcoming Canada Goose collaboration.
For her first Parisian presentation, Shanghai-based designer Feng Chen Wang wanted to address the contradictions that exist within each person, like being gentle but strong, a hopeful cynic — or a menswear designer offering women’s looks, too.
Transparency effects and cutouts were used as a sartorial metaphor for this idea, injected into the designer’s further exploration of deconstructed menswear.
Having introduced more extravagant styles through a metaverse presentation at the beginning of the week freed Wang to present a believable wardrobe that made ample use of her tailoring skills.
That included a patchworked suit made from deadstock elements; another that looked like it had been made from an oversize jacket sliced into pieces and recomposed for a cropped blazer and shorts; a third that had vintage leanings, except for the transparent sleeves and tuxedo stripes spliced into it.
Earthy tones and soft blues were the dominant hues of the season, while Swarovski elements, another name added to Wang’s expanding roster of collaborations, added a layer of sophistication that segued with her newly introduced made-to-measure offering.
A recurring phoenix motif, used for its homophony with Wang’s first name, was blown up to XXL proportions as a symbol of “dreaming of bigger things,” Wang said. The resulting curves looked abstract and featured extensively on knitwear, a category that was expanded significantly this season and included long-sleeved tops, matching trousers, a minidress and a twinset with a sleeveless vest.
A floor-sweeping knit gown would be part of the made-to-measure offering, since “you can’t really wear that daily,” the designer said, as would a denim bustier dress scattered with crystals.
Also presented were four looks out of her upcoming collaboration with Canada Goose, featuring a print by Chinese artist Xu Zhen, set to drop in October.
Their detachable elements made them feel adaptable to a range of weather conditions and social occasions. Shown alongside lighter summer styles, they were further examples of the designer’s able hand at construction and her aesthetic range, too.
