Faux fur turned out to be Shuting Qiu’s big obsession for fall 2023. It trembled on shoes and hats, fluttered on necklines, and flapped from the peplums of brocade puffer jackets. Her press notes called the fur ecological, but it didn’t always look particularly luxurious, bringing to mind the unruly hair of Trolls.
Her colorful, zany clothes — with sequined smiley faces swarming over busy pileups of various prints and fabrics — look like they originated in the metaverse and somehow found their way to the Palazzo Bovara in Milan.
The Chinese designer, schooled at the famous Royal Academy in Antwerp, could be seen as the fearless Gen Z niece of Dries Van Noten. She never met a floral print, metallic brocade or vivid stripe that wasn’t to her liking and she has a penchant for couture cutting like her uncle.
And she can’t help piling on more embellishment, whether it’s dense, 3D floral embroideries, crystal fringe, strands of sequins or trailing satin ribbons.
You’ve got to admire her gumption, and there’s something undeniably cheerful about her Technicolor fashion universe. She recently collaborated with Ugg, adding rainbow-colored platform soles, gradient faux fur and floral embroideries. Cue “Walking on Sunshine.”
Source: WWD