Inspired by Korean-American artist Nam June Paik's "Electronic Super Highway", former One-to-Watch Nova Chiu's Autumn/ Winter was as bright and wide-ranging a-faction as the scenes you'd expect out on the open road. A case of East meets West; a taste of every state you pass through.
February 2012 saw the newly graduated LCF alum amalgamate dense fluoro-alpaca knits, and fox-fur trim in an exploration of her Eastern heritage. Conversely, Spring/Summer's showing was a 180-degree turn to diaphanous satins, the focus Chiu's exploration of digital-print. Three seasons in, and it seems the Chinese One-to-Watch, and North American partner Jeff have settled on a middle-ground, with their present-day offering an intermediate between both, opening with form-fitted fox-fur fuschia; their staple embellished fringe separates grounding the collection in its Americana- in this case native- roots.
Paik's neon highway as the collection's catalyst, there was the controlled momentum of a vehicle in motion, and kinaesthetic duality to the bustling-facets of embroidered trim as they trailed the ground. This controlled movement drove the collection- as the duo behind it on their recent travels- evident in a drop-waisted velvet shift, cut for a restrained kick at the 'swish' of woman's hip with every step.
The "journeying" theme is apt, given Autumn/Winter is illustrative of the pair's progression, and clear compromise as they develop as a duo, and it's clear "two heads are better than one" with regards to exploring every avenue, putting ideas on the table, and pushing technique. We said she's One-to-Watch, and now that's true of both.
Images by Tram Nguyen (@TramNguyenp)