Yuhan Wang
The Women Who Came Back
Autumn/Winter ‘23
Words By: Molly Boniface
‘The Women Who Came Back’ is the latest collection from Yuhan Wang, the eponymous womenswear brand created by Chinese designer Yuhan Wang. The brand was established in 2018 after Wang graduated with a BA and MA in womenswear from Central Saint Martins. ‘The Women Who Came Back’ catwalk show felt as though the cinematic universes of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette had merged and strutted into existence along the catwalk of the New Gen space. Models stormed the runway against a backdrop of surf music that wouldn’t be out of place on a Tarantino soundtrack. Pouf hairstyles with long, ribbon embellished plaits dominated the collection. Biker jackets were given hyper-femme makeovers, corset detailing giving the traditional biker silhouette a newfound sense of elegance, matching the lace embellishments but contrasting the biker patches. Some models carried samurai swords which contradicted the colour palette of pastel yellows, pinks and bright oranges. Knitwear was displayed in abundance. My favourite look saw a model with brilliant red hair donning a green knitted jumper. In signature Yuhan Wang style, the jumper appeared threadbare, as though inside out. The rose appliqué on the front of perfectly surmised the colour palette of the outfit. Paired with the jumper was an incredibly ruched and gathered skirt creating asymmetric angles in black with white contrast stitching along the seams. Tying the look together were lace up shoes with laces reaching the model’s knees. It is now my dream outfit.
Knitted two pieces, almost mimicking bikinis with huge, overstated flower ornamentation demonstrated Wang’s notorious method of ‘subversively de-constructing the traditional notions of female fragility and sensitivity’. Knots and draping fabrics, trends that saturated the runways this season were skilfully applied to Wangs collection, some garments appeared to be held together just by bows in the fabric. The collection was beautiful, the interweaving of traditional Chinese feminine aesthetics with staple Western garments such as cardigans and suit jackets are deftly combined to form a unique and elegant collection. The showcase could have offered more diversity, only one plus size model graced the catwalk which is a shame as the draping and rouching silhouettes inherent to Wang’s collection would complement a plethora of body types, sitting differently on each. Overall it was a painfully beautiful collection, that could have been displayed with more inclusivity.
