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In Fantasies Behind the Pearly Curtain, Chiung Yao’s 1969 novel and subsequent hit film, a love triangle between two sisters and their tutor throws their three lives into disarray. The plot is the kind of melodramatic goldmine that made Yao one the most popular romance novelists in the Chinese-speaking world. But it was less the torrid affair and more the amalgamation of old-world glamour and Eastern sophistication that turned on Austin Wang and Yangson Liu this season: “We were thinking about boudoir,” said Liu backstage after their show. “Oriental boudoir,” Wang clarifed.
The idea, said Liu, was to add a dose of sexiness to the collection. Rather than dressing down or wearing less, it was the power of suggestion that the designers embraced. “We wanted to make it sexy and a little…” said Liu, pausing to find the right word. Timid? Restrained? Coy.
AO Yes is a young label that has quickly established a singular proposition. Liu and Wang riff off traditional Chinese garb with a sense of modernity and androgyny. This season they added an additional layer to their narrative by interpreting the in vogue allure of sheerness and transparency through their own lens. A couple of see-through pencil skirts in tinted organzas embroidered with scattered florals were worn to great effect over long white shirting blouses that covered just enough of the body. The idea carried into a couple of sheer knit separates and evolved into peekaboo details with the backs of blouses left open and held together by a single tie. (There was a tinge of Mrs. Prada in the proceedings, too, it must be said).
Billowy sheer coats and a run of simply terrific robes—the latter of which were worn off the shoulders—gave the collection a compelling sense of buoyancy with a subtle undertone of sensuality. This injection of volume was well countered by a couple of chic sheaths and draped blouses in light but structured silks that iterated on the traditional qipao; some were cut straight and streamlined and others roomy. They had tiny folded fabric ornaments that referenced Chinese fans, a notion that was expanded on in the way they connected pant legs to each other and jacket sleeves to bodices with ruffled panels.
“We wanted to express the softness of oriental women in modern ways,” said the designers, and a confident yet “introverted” beauty. It’s a curious moment for Chinese designers in Shanghai. The market—and the culture—are prioritizing a focus on tradition and identity. That happens to be Ao Yes’s sweet spot. Their challenge moving forward will be to balance an appreciation for the past with an eye to the future.
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