In a time when gender fluidity seems to be the name of the game, Shangguan Zhe designing under his own label SANKUANZ captured the current zeitgeist by using the concept of a fictional military diving squad exploring new underwater territories.
And with this message, Zhe continues to build his reflections on the modern society. Working around the notions of destruction and protection, attack and defense, the designer proposed plain and elegant sartorial looks that include sharply cut jackets, coats and trenches cut with sailor collars.
From the dark flared silhouettes emerge brightly colored crushed velvet shirts and stretch tops, some printed with underwater cityscapes. Not surprisingly, diving suit details are echoed in nautical uniforms and cowboy looks.
Pushing this aggressive/protective idea to couture level, sharp, dagger style metallic details flash menacingly on belts, box bags and metallic pointed collar pins. Bold jewelry pieces in blade shapes including Airpod-shaped earrings or finger covering rings worn together to form weapon gloves finish the looks.
The sleek silhouettes evolve into more casual and engineered outerwear looks directly drawn from hi-tech diving suits. The pieces are cut in a range of classic and innovative fabrics and enriched with a of myriad details such as the fully waterproofing pull zipper of wetsuits used on denim and leather total looks to full on protective layers.
For the first time this season, Shangguan Zhe also integrates some women’s looks in its men’s line-up. The models dressed in black shiny tailored suits, layered bombers jackets or in tight zipped leather outfits carry the same fierce allure as their masculine alter ego.
Completing this detailed collection is a collaboration with the global lifestyle brand Herschel Supply, which produced an elaborate collection of three air tight and waterproof adjustable bags inspired by the scuba diving theme of the collection.
Photos courtesy of SANKUANZ
