After several seasons in Milan, Shanghai-based designer Shuting Qiu is taking her off-schedule Paris debut as an opportunity to switch things up.
Pulling back on the tailoring, she reached for a more feminine aesthetic, playing with dresses and flashes of skin. The season’s color palette set brights on a collision course with each other.
Having visited Cyprus, she took cues from the architecture and geometric curls on the island. Combined with the florals she favors, it was a more-is-more approach that she nuanced with a dash of black and white.
A collaboration with contemporary artist Lu Xinjian resulted in an abstract take on Shanghai’s map.
Embroidery was used extensively, dressing translucent fabric in bold patterns for spaghetti-strap dresses or mullet skirts.
“Because my collections are always inspired by my roots, my hometown of Hangzhou, which is famous for its embroidery, I wanted to bring this kind of culture to Paris, in a contemporary way,” she said backstage.
Further cementing her attachment to Chinese embroidery crafts, which are part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage, Qiu will be exhibiting her work at La Samaritaine as part of a 10-designer showcase kicking off Tuesday.
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