Fast-fashion powerhouse Zara is teaming with fashion designer Susan Fang on its first major designer collaboration for the Chinese market, following a sold-out capsule with South Korean brand Ader Error last year.
The collaboration with the Chinese designer, which includes 22 pieces of women’s wear, men’s wear, kids’ wear and accessories, will be on sale from Monday ahead of the Chinese New Year, both online and in selected flagship stores in Bejing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
Zara said the collaboration demonstrates its confidence in supporting the large-scale commercial development of Chinese designers, and its determination to introduce Chinese design to international markets.
While the brand has worked with several other local Chinese talents on smaller projects, Fang is the first globally acclaimed Chinese designer Zara has ever worked with.
“The interesting thing is that our theme is about love, togetherness, and family, and what I experienced during the project is a true Zara family,” Fang told WWD.
“Although they are a huge company, the way we worked was very intimate and personal, they were very caring for how our brand runs. How we hand-make our products is in a small handmaking team. It was a tightly knit team working closely with many of their members in different backgrounds and areas. They were all very kind, professional and extremely efficient, from the beads to fabric, to campaign and store designs, everyone tried their best, from Spain to China. It really moved me,” she added.
For the capsule, Fang created special prints that feel like spray paint and feather floating.
“It was to represent dreamy and happy memories, and our new textile technique from last season called Air Flower, for the women’s wear and kids’ wear they all feel very light and happy. The men’s wear uses a darker shades of blue and everything is connected by special flower encased resin beads. We also used a lot of red to connect with the Chinese New Year season,” Fang said.
Within just a few seasons after her debut upon graduating from London’s Central Saint Martins in 2017, Fang had collected a prestigious list of stockists — including Net-a-porter, Browns, Dover Street Market and Joyce — appreciative of the slightly preternatural feel of her clothes. One of the earliest breakout pieces for the designer was clear bubble-looking bags that Fang handcrafts with crystal glass, a technique she also deploys on shoes and other accessories.
Shortlisted for the LVMH Prize in 2020, Fang was named winner of the Lane Crawford Creative Call Out award, taking home a $25,000 prize last year. She now shows during Shanghai Fashion Week.
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Source: WWD