Photos – Angel Chen ©
ANGEL CHEN Spring/Summer 2019 draws inspiration from Madame Ching, who was a pirate lord of the Pacific Ocean during the Qing dynasty. The collection also blends elements of the Chinese Ming dynasty with that of maritime culture to create garments that fuse a multitude of historic references with ANGEL’s unique take on modern design. Sponsored by smartphone brand, Vivo, ANGEL CHEN is honoured to debut the collection at Tmall CHINA DAY as part of New York Fashion Week.
During the Qing dynasty, pirates not only had an impact on the development of coastal regions but they played a significant role in fighting enemies. The “anotherness” associated with a pirates’ strong spirit can be seen through ANGEL CHEN’s bold colours, prints and rebellious outlook on fashion.
ANGEL CHEN’s interpretation of this unique time in history leads to a palette with heavily saturated colours: dark red, fluorescent pink, pine green, and strong blue hues.
A combination of over 20 textures represents the endless possibilities of pirate culture, various materials such as laces, grids, knots, and knitting are used – a juxtaposition created by clashing fabrics is partly influenced by the works of Iranian-American collage artist, Sarah Rahbar.
Floral prints feature throughout the collection – but not the print in a traditional sense, the patterns are inspired by single coloured tattoos and this unique arrangement is layered over dark fabrics to symbolise the Chinese traditional monochrome painting style.
In addition to distinguished fabrics, ANGEL CHEN took inspiration from the Ming and Qing dynasties for garment structure. Stiff, straight and broad stand-up uniforms are in the collection, apposing against natural shapes.
This season’s footwear was independently created by the ANGEL CHEN brand for the first time. The footwear combines dragon tooth soles with elements of straw sandals and binding details.
Accessories were designed in collaboration with the post-modern brand BÉTON CIRÉ, which is famous for their French sailor hats and oceanic flavour.
These accessories are paired with dragon embroidery, creating a zucchetto with East Asian characteristics. Another collaboration for SS19 is with FOB PARIS, the Parisian watch brand. Working closely with ANGEL CHEN, together they launch a unique version of pocket and wrist-watches, which combine jade elements and contemporary knots to echo the inspiration of a marine compass.
