As the lights dimmed, the clashing of mixed beats vibrated around our ears, violently asserting the presence of Xander Zhou. A vision of the returning punk, Techno-Orientalism conveyed through a clashing of traditional Chinese silhouette against bleached denim and experimental tailoring. Autumn/winter 2017 saw Zhou position his collection as the new “Generasian”, a realisation of the new positioning of the young. The Xander Zhou youth adorned his body in non-casual outfits, carrying the weight of Techno-Orientalism upon his shoulders. Through a pallet of PVC, ultra-marine, silver, black and red, Zhou’s youth instigated a virtual reality, abruptly forcing them selves into our environment. As onlookers, we were reminded heavily of the youth, of the experimental “no-shits given” demeanor that is so heavily lost within an age of classicism, proving that London Fashion Weeks Men is not just for traditional menswear, but also not for the faint hearted. Zhou reminded us of realising the present and future existence of menswear, and indeed how fashion can be not only an art, but also a message of realisation and transformation.
Words by Jasmine Banbury
Images by Paolo Steve
