Shiatzy Chen invites us into Anna Wintour’s wardrobe for her Fall-Winter 2010-2011 collection, through silhouettes wearing the square so emblematic of the fashion priestess.
But it is a dressing straight out of the 50s, that Jackie Onassis would certainly not have denied, that the Taiwanese designer chooses to present us. This dressing was inspired more by the essence of Jade than by Anna Wintour, as Jade symbolizes nobility, perfection and immortality and carries values such as wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage. And it is these values that Shiatzy Chen transmits to us through this collection.
The designer mixed Western influences and Eastern aesthetics in a collection made of colorful H-shaped silhouettes but doesn’t seem to want to take a stand between these two styles. She mixed them in a very American style but tinged with the Orient by recalling here and there the Jade. Taking the opposite of the traditional clothes of Ancient China, Shiatzy Chen uses western cuts that she treats in the oriental way by adding embroidery, patterns and jade jewels, oriental facings.
On these timeless silhouettes, the designer highlights sumptuous silks, colored satins, woven fabrics, high quality leather and sophisticated lace in colors reminiscent of the formidable palette of this stone: very pronounced emerald green, black, almost milky gray. But she adds more oriental colors such as flaming orange, electric blue, purple and red that she adorns with gold and Swarovski crystal accessories.
The coats are adorned with ornaments and embroidery very oriental, some collars are enriched with fur. Besides what a good idea to propose these scarves and stole in fur and warm them up with color.
The designer, by dint of not taking sides, has ended up creating a new hybrid of fashion between East and West …
Marie-Odile RADOM
