Shao Yen A/W’15 collection

For autumn/winter 2015 London based designer Shao Yen takes reference from the artworks of 20th Century Austrian painter Egon Schiele. The particular signature graphic style and innovative exaggeration of the human form serve as the core inspiration of SHAO YEN’s tenth consecutive collection. Keeping the focus on knitwear this season, Chen explores various techniques to form contemporary and inventive interpretations of bodily structures such as ribs, muscles and blood vessels. Silhouette is cutting edge and experimental, an element that has now become synonymous with the SHAO YEN label.

Heavy knit jumpers trimmed with feather like wool strands and oversized wool coats with exaggerated shoulders are paired with sleek, clean lined skirts and cleverly tailored trousers. The result of which captures the imaginative lines of Schiele’s drawings. Schiele’s frequently used iconic palette is also referenced directly by Chen.

Using crisp shades of nudes, camels and maroons with an emphasis on the edges of garments to recreate the bold outlines of the painters work. The two artistic outlooks are brought together to create the core essence of ‘Flesh’, a raw, fresh, innovative line staying true to the SHAO YEN label. The collection is presented alongside the installation works of Taiwanese artist Shih Hsiung Chou. Chou’s solo exhibition, Wait Until It Dries, took place in Shoreditch early this year. This particular exhibition captivated Chen’s imagination and there after a collaboration was formed.

Evie Switzer

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