Ziggy Chen SS24

“INADVERTENCY”

When I arrived at the Ziggy Chen presentation I walked in with a group of models. I definitely felt like I was intruding but somehow this particular designer’s team have always made me feel very welcome in any part of the presentation. I was greeted with the usual Earth toned fabrics in generous drapes over the body. Lightweight but durable. Looks earthly but dramatic. This season Ziggy Chen continues to develop his textiles and shapes. Spring Summer ‘24 revolves around the concept of spontaneity. The foundation of this is a man who dresses casually with a relaxed and natural attitude. Anything can happen, at any time. This way of being can set somebody up for successful adaptation to their surroundings.

This season's textiles was developed from pieces of the designer's own collection of antique books and old pieces of fabric. A collage was made utilizing these materials lending to the print of the new textiles. The fabric is then treated with an over dye to give it another dimension and reveal a trompe l'oeil visual effect. It took very careful experimentation of various techniques to reach the correct thread count, texture and desired thickness of Chen's textiles.

The juxtaposing materials reveal a sense of spontaneity. The contrast is based on the notion of male and female. With linen, hemp and ramie for the men's selections and softer fabrics such as silk and viscose were utilized to emphasize the drape in the women's pieces. New shades enrich this collection. Alongside the muted browns and olive greens we also find faded blue in this season's offerings. Through Ziggy Chen's innovative techniques, he carries on his deeper vision of reality.. flowing into the natural process.

Special photo contribution by Corentin Meniaca