Huishan Zhang is never short of inspiration. “I’m passionate, so it comes naturally,” he said, beaming, at a preview. Surrounded by women—his customers and the on-screen heroines he looks to for visual charge, who this season were writer Eileen Chang and photographer Deborah Turbeville—he is perennially keen to create clothes. “We’re continuously inspired by women, everywhere in the world,” he said.
Zhang pays always meticulous attention to fabrications. “I always want to remind people of the craftsmanship,” he asserted. He knows intricate, occasion-leaning finishes like the back of his hand. Draped-detail dresses hand-embroidered with sequined florals and iterations in gossamer tulle and lace comprised the evening propositions, along with fitted soirée-ready suits. But the same attention was paid to his “daywear,” which he’s recently strived to refine. For spring, he poured over how to make a particular lightweight linen as wrinkle-free as possible, while maintaining its silhouette. He spoke in depth about introducing just the right amount of elastic to ensure it doesn’t crease too much but would still feel like linen. “Every season is a new challenge, it’s amazing,” he said.
Other challenges he embarked upon: Achieving a suede look on brushed-cotton jackets, a minidress and fitted skirt, appliquéd with paisley details. The final material looked like suede, but was significantly lighter to the touch. At the preview, there was also a healthy conversation about cardigans—a carryover piece that’s become a staple for Huishan Zhang, previously made in Mongolian cashmere—which he made suitable for spring with a new 100 per cent silk weave that “acts like wool,” but is cool on the skin.
To facilitate these innovations, he tapped into his global network of suppliers and artisans. “The ‘made in China’ aspect is always a signature of the house,” he said, but he also worked with a historic British silk-weaving company this season. “We want to share this prestige with our customers,” he added. Zhang developed a shimmering floral jacquard that “captures the light,” crafted into a cheongsam dress that’s been a calling card for “many, many years,” and a cheongsam-come-skirt-suit silhouette inspired by an exhibition he saw in Shanghai “The Art of What is Left Unsaid” was the title of Zhang’s spring collection, but the fabrics were worthy points of discussion.
