Chinese designer Zhe Shangguan, who launched his label in 2008, presented his fall winter 2016-2017 men’s collection for the first time at Paris Fashion Week.<\/p>\n
His collection is a tribute to the first Olympic Games to be held in China (the Beijing Games in 1990). At the time, Zhe Shangguan was still a teenager, and the event was monumental. In Chinese popular culture, sport was seen as a means of overcoming poverty and gaining popularity. <\/p>\n
The major trend of the time was embedded in Chinese popular culture, as it was fashionable to wear oversized sports uniforms.<\/p>\n
With this surprising collection, Zhe Shangguan aims to rethink the world of sportswear with shapes inspired by military clothing. Hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants adopt clean lines. The brand’s logo is also revisited in the form of a flocking on the back, similar to that found on soccer shirts. The Chinese flag, a sign of patriotism, becomes an abstract form. From psychedelic touches to all-over patterns, Zhe Shangguan was inspired by Kenny Scharf’s paintings, especially in the colors used. <\/p>\n
The collection aims to revolutionize the Chinese fashion landscape with a style that is “spontaneous and timeless”. Materials include fluid velvet, smooth pvc, corduroy, intarsia wool and extra-light nylon. The bright, contrasting color palette includes touches of burgundy, army green, fluorescent yellow and violet. <\/p>\n\n\t\t