It may have been 9am on the final morning of London Fashion Week, but spirits were running high in anticipation for the Hu Bing Selects show – and with good reason. In the heart of the West End, at the beautiful Freemasons Hall, Bing would celebrate his tenth year of involvement on the British fashion scene – and it was expected he would commemorate the day in style.
Hu Bing Selects is quite the unique addition to the calendar – the shows are not produced by a singular designer – but by a curation of talent. Bing launched the platform last year, with the intention of promoting Asian designers – particularly those from his home country of China – on a global scale, and to provide them with his valuable support and mentorship.
This collection, dubbed Golden Age, was produced by a team of four, led by emerging star Aya Maruyama. She was aided by menswear designer Wang Yijie and An Da – who specialises in womenswear – whilst leading fabric expert Lu Jianping offered up their pioneering textile innovations. The result? A breathtaking show that concurrently embodied timeless elegance and modernism.
The opening handful of looks had an undeniable sixties feel with mini skirts, platform heels and bold colours. This briskly transcended into a vast array of more futuristic, avant-garde looks – drawing inspiration from visionary designer Pierre Cardin. From here on out, moulded tops, latex and distinctive cutouts dominated the show. However, a touch of old school class remained scattered within the neoteric styles, with pillbox hats, albeit with revised shapes, and ageless tailoring enduring throughout the show.
Closing the show was the man himself; Hu Bing, a former supermodel who has worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Valentino. He would go on to walk in the iconic L’Oréal show in Paris, highlighting how blessed London is to have someone like him so invested in our fashion industry.
Ultimately, it was within the finest of details – the range of fabrics and the use of jewellery – that the designers so craftfully managed to bridge the gap between the East and the West. The amalgamation of two cultures and differing heritages was something special to see, and this was just a mere taste. Hu Bing Selects may only be in its second year of operating, but if this show is anything to go by, it absolutely is not one to be overlooked.
