Huishan Zhang sees his spring collection as a postcard to his customers. “It says, ‘We’re missing you; it’s been a hard time, but there’s always something to find beauty in.” It comes from Italy by way of China, where Zhang has been since his fall 2020 show—and specifically the palatial Villa Arconati.
Models moonlighting as well-travelled women having quite the fabulous time at the 17th-century palace are this season’s protagonists. They are, of course, much like Zhang’s loyal clients, the ones who demanded fashion frippery despite having little to RSVP to during the pandemic. “Huishan Zhang women all have a power and an elegance inside them; they love luxury, craftsmanship, and originality—and they really enjoy life,” shared the Dior-trained designer.
The new collection fizzes with this positivity. From the intense color palette —a cacophony of tangerine, fuchsia, apple green, orchid pink, and lapis blue—to his usual sprays of levity inducing marabou feathers, this was, as Zhang said, fashion “to feel the vibe” in.
But while much of the collection reads like the usual Huishan Zhang headlines, he also used the pandemic to double down on casual pieces to mix and match with his glossy eveningwear, like tees and T-shirt dresses laced with crystal jewelry and embroidered shirting and beribboned jackets.
These new-look separates might not win him a different audience, but for the women who share his “impulse for beauty,” there was much to delight in. As Zhang asserted, “An evening dress is not only an evening dress; it represents the hope of a brighter future.” You can’t argue with this happy-making strategy.
