SHIATZY CHEN AW2022/2023 COLLECTION: GENESIS

SHIATZY CHEN Fall-Winter 2022 Collection
Light and dust / GENESIS

The SHIATZY CHEN Fall-Winter 2022 collection show will be presented online on March 7 at 6 p.m. Paris time. Artistic director Chen Tsai-Hsia has chosen the theme of “light and dust” for this collection. In the depths of primordial darkness, the crack of a match gave birth to fire and light, so we can explore the meaning of the ancient proverb that one “tempers one’s splendor and assimilates oneself to dust”. This gushing light is similar to dust; both exist in the same temporality and have the same importance. The past and the future lead each person along a glittering, radiant path.

The inspiration behind the show

The filming of the show takes its inspiration from the original idea of creation. Starting with the imagery of fire and light, the show transmits inexhaustible enthusiasm and inspiration into our hearts and, what’s more, brings symbolism through the collection’s English name, “GENESIS”. In a field of darkness, a powerful beam of light shines through a slit, opening up a world even wider than the eye can see. In this scene, tiny dust particles float and the sound of a match cracking is heard, and we can’t help but fix our attention on that match as it ignites. And so begins this show of lights and clothes.

The inspiration behind the Autumn-Winter 2022 collection

Whether it’s the past or the light, both are abstractly conceived in our minds, but deeply felt in our hearts. We transpose this idea poetically into our clothes. We draw on this spirit of harmonious oriental aesthetics, which combines opposition and perseverance, to concretely express sleek, slender contours that are as abundant as they are beautiful, starting with form-fitting, sporty ribbed-collar tops in line with the trend of recent years, accompanied by long, loose, fringed pants. It’s with this combination of casual and graceful that this collection begins. Then come hooded coats in metallic thread jacquard adorned with the house’s unique motifs, as well as H-line dresses, constituting the torch that ignites in the heart of darkness. Then, with padded diamond jackets sewn with metallic thread, shiny leather jackets and short skirts and patterned transparent organza tops, a fleeting, transient appearance is invoked, symbolizing light and fire. Finally, black and white, as the main colors, are used extensively on different fabrics, such as muslin with specially embossed fireworks motifs, metallic thread jacquard, muslin and lace, to which embossed sequins and feathers are added, to express the swirling of light in the dark night. In terms of color scheme, we see an abundance of flamboyant reds, tapered fringed dresses, long red coats embroidered with padding, high-collared jackets embroidered with red satin. Delicate neon-colored windings are abundantly used in long black and white chiffon umbrella skirts, long embroidered silk tulle skirts and wool jackets. Light purple wool jackets, patterned pink knit coats, brown leather jackets and skirts with sequins and peach-colored organza sleeves also radiate an infinite vitality saturated with brilliance. Finally, there’s boundless black adorned with peacock-green sequins, reflecting the bright rays that shine through the darkness. The motifs used in this collection take as their inspiration the light of fire in its earliest moments, gunpowder smoke, fire sparks and fluorescent halos, representing on the one hand their own splendor and on the other hand that which is at the very origin of this splendor, for both exist in the same temporality and have the same importance.

This season’s key accessories

Light, the swiftest of travelers, translates this inspiration into different assortments. A number of men’s garments use tight, casual turtleneck tops with prints accompanied by more formal elements such as a shirt and jacket, giving a new oriental image. Splendid flamboyant red wool accessories are also added to long men’s high-collared coats, redefining the notion of oriental luxury. In addition, this collection makes extensive use of scarves with printed patterns, becoming the new key paraphernalia used in common by women and men, and which, accompanying leather jackets and short skirts, are reminiscent of the retro look of the 80s. Basket dresses, so representative of the rococo era, with their horizontal hoops, draw the quintessential contours of light, making a statement of feminine power. The accessories are inspired by the idea that light spreads evenly. Symmetrical radial crystal earrings and waterfall-like necklaces with glittering bangs take us on the path to a radiant future. Shoes, meanwhile, inherit the concept of blossoming, with ankle boots and ankle boots all designed with light-reflecting patent leather, discreetly adorning them with light. Similarly, the bags, with their classic jade-colored handles and mini satchels, are a distinctive feature of this collection and, by accompanying the garments, make for a neat, neutral modern style.