With roses on my sleeves and Banks in my ears, I wanna introduce you to a new Chinese designer today. Well, not a ‘new’ label in the literal sense: Lucien Wang launched his eponymous label back in 2008 (prior to that, he studied at Studio Berçot in Paris before training with Véronique Leroy).

I remember seeing a rack of desaturated goodness and beelining straight for it. There, with much splendor, hung a mishmash of AW15 and SS16: tuktuk loads of strong silhouettes, all the silver hardware the urban minimalist can just about handle, and – to my delight – a lot of black. Sufficiently purposeful, decidedly decadent, and oh so beautiful.

Wearing Lucien Wang F/W 2015 dress

Yang Li jacket, trousers and t-shirt, Converse sneakers, CHairEYES sunglasses | Photographs by Amber YangI’ve stalked the archives, I’ve trxpped over 90’s Margielas. But if there’s anyone contemporarily cool doing black its greatest justice, then it’s Yang Li. Sorry if I’ve professed/obsessed my love for his clothes all too much up here (and in IRL), but this is the kind of silhouette I’m happy to rep for life: menswear, tailored, in-n-out of proportions – black with a soul, manly with vigorous twist. Thank you Dong Liang for stocking my favorite designers, as always.

I’m back in Beijing. Stepped off a direct flight, got whirled into chaotic chaos and now I’m all sticky-sweaty, but it’s all ok because I’m finally breathing it all in (and coughing a little). I still have to head back to Vienna to get some more visa stuff done, but come August I’ll be fully settled in the Jing – if the last of the summer heatwave doesn’t get to me first. Going to keep this a short one – let’s stay updated via the gram.

Layered dresses by Uma Wang, Doc Martens shoes, Super sunglasses.

I want to talk about the Wangsical. That’s a thing now. After Alexander Wang, Vera Wang, Vega Zaishi Wang, another Wang you defos need to know is Uma Wang. When I finally met her clothes in person, I felt like I had rekindled a childhood friendship that didn’t exist. Why does that sound creepy? It isn’t, but I probably did look creepy when I was looking through her AW collection. The emo typography nerd inside me also growled admiringly when I saw her black/white logo. It was what it is. Wait what?

The textures are absolutely exquisite, and also an experimental joy to wear. What I mean by the experimentally joyful is that all the pieces are kind of like Lego – you can layer, overlap, turn around, wear upside down. There’s a certain structural versatility in her clothes that certain puts a proud ‘Made In China’ stamp on the wearer’s face. If I was a personal shopper/stylist for a modern Chinese businesswoman looking to represent her company and employees abroad, I would lead her to Uma. This is quality understatement at its finest and a reminder that the air of GIRLBOSS-ness cannot be bought with logos and designer flashing.

I’m not gonna lie, wearing this sheer dress, pictured above, with only my nipple stickers and cycle shorts for underwear and shooting photos with a self-timer on the streets probably wasn’t the best idea. But then again, being a winter-h8er and studying in Edinburgh probably wasn’t the smartest one either.

Top and pants by MS MIN, Matter Matters bag, and Maya Magal accessories.