Nashmin 
Yuner Shao created a highly expressive, avant-garde collection this season at Vancouver Fashion Week.
Who doesn’t love a loud textile? Shao created super artistic and colourful fabrics. Using digital and screen printing techniques to layer drawings and shapes on top of each other, the final fabrics came together to be truly aesthetically pleasing. The illustrations in bright yellows, blues, and reds, along with the black and white made each piece quite abstract. It would have been incredible just to see the artwork on a canvas, but to see these graphics placed on silhouettes was absolutely jaw-dropping. Watching this New York fashion designer’s show really felt like I was at an art exhibit.
The looks had a lot going on; with a mixture of different primary colours, materials, shapes, patterns, and layered graphic prints. However, it was not overwhelming and everything meshed together impeccably well.
With large patch pockets, bold buttons, loose belts, lines, circles, drawings and words printed, one could only imagine the designs on paper. Each look matched effortlessly with the colour scheme with graphic prints placed throughout which made a cohesive line and a strong statement.
The loose and oversized clothing portrayed the designer’s youthful intention. She drew the graphics to show perspectives of the ‘Chinese Dream’ and to create anti-propaganda. This gives her line meaning and creates a discussion, which is what any designer can hope for.
These pieces were thought about inside-out, pun intended, as the insides of the jackets and pants also included illustrations. The shoes sported graphic prints as well proving the effort and attention to detail Shao has put into each look; it is truly compelling.
Shao’s work was particularly special because I could see how her menswear looks could not only be worn on the runway but adapted for everyday outfits as well. Overall, this show was a stand-out in fashion week. The experimental and original designs Shao has created, left a memorable impression and now all eyes are on what she is going to devise next.
Written by Jessica Haltrecht (@jeshalt)
Images by Arun Nevader for Getty Images
