For Fall 2015, Vivienne Tam proposes a new take on chinoiserie. Urban, romantic and based on the European concept of China, this new aesthetic is sparked by the mystical and exotic Far East.
Intricate designs that blend ornate European artistry with rich imagery from the East – lust renderings of birds, pagodas, boats, bamboos, bridges were stylized as print and embroidery in dresses and gown.
Pearlescent pailletes under sheer tulle and printed silk shifts with sequined and beaded accents are reminiscent of cloisonné textures while muted plaids are overlaid with black lace.
Baroque matte silver and foiled gold lace derived from Chinese Chippendale gilt mirrors are appliquéd onto high-neck, Victorian-inspired silk blouses that frame the face.
Wool jersey and techno-fabric patchwork dresses with graphic body frame overlays and structured tranpunto wool pea-coats round out the line-up.
The collection is rendered in both natural and hi-tech materials, such as melton and boiled wools, fine silks and printed multi-textured techno-mesh layered with hand-crafted embroideries, lace and laser-cut appliqués.
It features exaggerated silhouettes — gathered sleeves, flared A-line skirts and dresses with nipped in waists as well as quilted skirts and cropped jackets that are sometimes paired with long or cropped menswear-inspired trousers — expressed in warm ivories, camels, grays, dusty pinks, imperial blues, varying depths of red, and burnished metallics.
Photos by Edward Colelli
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