What memories remain of Venezia once one has left the Serenissima? The dilapidated colours of the wall, and the frescoes and paintings inside the buildings. A pungent smell of laguna water.And a certain playfulness, a feeling of frivolity and insouciance.
A collection that explores playfulness and decay, with the reductionist language Uma Wang stands for. Volumes that fold, protrude, bend, gather. Washed and stained wallpaper surfaces. Hints of lace, and jacquard silk used on the reverse side. Vintage potato sacks and paper, cut into pliable shapes.
Every garment is meant to engage a minuet with the wearer: drawstrings and wires allow once to mold the flow on and around the body; slits and cuts incite tying and folding in multiple ways; so do ribbons and ties. Even the deconstructed tricorn hats can be modelled however one wishes.
The opulence of imperfection as an invite to play with fashion: on in one way, but in multiple manners.
By Angelo Flaccavento
Uma Wang founded her namesake label, UMA WANG, in 2009, shortly before becoming the first Chinese designer ever featured in the European fashion calendar.
The Shanghai-based brand has since established a loyal following of devotees taken by Wang’s vision of rugged elegance manifested in designs that bridge the lacuna between the ascetic and the sensual.
Uma Wang sharpened her sartorial skills at China Dong Hua Textile University and Central Saint Martins for ten years before conceiving her eponymous label.
The label’s luxe ready-to-wear - all manufactured in Italy in close collaboration with local textile mills - comes in a serene palette of neutrals, often adorned with big prints, raw edges, and immersive textures.
