Passports were at the ready for our quick vacation to Hainan, China – birthplace of emerging designer Wan Hung, and where he found inspiration to build his collection for SS17. Wan took classic shapes and created garments emblazoned with loud, enlarged prints, he also designed a sand coloured bomber with ‘HAINAN’ across the back to reach out to the modern, urban male consumer.
Prints of turquoise, indigo and midnight blue against white and canary yellow instantly gave the collection a tropical feel. This takes a nod to the notion of people working in the city dreaming of white sands, turquoise waters and sunshine as the designer has experienced the two polar opposite worlds himself.
A short fashion film accompanying the presentation, showed models wearing the collection diving onto a blue bed with body boards, impersonating riding the waves as if they were in the sea. He has modernized the classic Hawaiian print shirt and turned it into a vibrant collection of suits, shirts, long smocks and oversized coats including some looks which were worn with socks and sliders. Shades of blue were marbled into one another using acrylic paint to create a print giving clothes movement and mirroring a breaking wave.
Words by Paige Dempster
Images by Georgia Sillitoe
