Redesigning Sex

Angelou Zhu brings a tailored perspective on modern womenswear to Shanghai Fashion Week for their AW17 collection.

With a concentration in Womenswear, designer Anzhe turned to ‘The Second Sex’ by philosopher Simone de Beauvoir for inspiration. Representing the conflict between masculinity and femininity in society became a key concept for their Angelou Zhu AW17 collection, which will debut at Ontimeshow Shanghai on Saturday, April 8th.

‘I’m a minimalist, an artisan, a wearer.’

Angelou Zhu specializes in tailoring but with a contemporary approach, aiming to cut finish and create fabrication with a consideration that gives pieces a new context of femininity. ‘To us, balancing between creativity and accessibility is essential. With couture-like finishing, delicate cuttings and fluid fashion, we can redefine what it is to be feminine. We believe in this way, our design is a language that speaks to the elegant, sophisticated and intellectual women of today.’

Lace is stripped of its fragility, reinterpreted in scale and tenacity on Turkish leather using laser cutting techniques. The lace is then constructed into an individual garment using a non-traditional ‘made-to-measure’ weaving mechanism and finished with Italian mohair ribbons.

Other items in the collection are made of wool melton, silk blend crepe and Tibetan yak wool. The organic shapes of the woolen pieces are created by just one or two cuts. Handmade leather toggles and eyelets serve as effortless closures. The effect of each garment is a harmony of opposing elements, that are a sleek, exquisite statement of contemporary womenswear.

After graduating from the Graduate Diploma course at Central Saint Martin, Anzhe went on to earn a MA degree in Womenswear from the Royal College of Art, leading to the creation of his label Angelou Zhu. His work was first presented at London Fashion Week. His work has been published in the September Issue 2016 of Vogue Italia, where he was also named as one of the hundred ‘New Talent’ worldwide.