Shao Yen collection presentation for LFW A/W 2015

Shao Yen’s tenth consecutive collection, entitled Flesh is a daring and bold move from the Taiwanese-born designer. Following on from his Canvas spring/summer 2015 collection and inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, his autumn/winter 2015 look takes influence from the artworks of 20th-century Austrian painter Egon Schiele.

As the title suggests, Shao Yen’s vision comes from the innovative exaggeration of the human form. Chen explores various techniques to form contemporary and inventive interpretations of bodily structures, such as ribs, muscles and blood vessels.

Since graduating from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in 2010, Shao Yen Chen has become a regular fixture at London Fashion Week, showcasing designs integrating practicality with unconventional materials and structures.

Chen incorporates experimental silhouettes with contrasting fabrics as is synonymous with the Shao Yen label. Chen has become known for the use of traditional knitting techniques that make his collections innovative and fresh. Heavy-knit jumpers and oversized wool coats with exaggerated shoulders are teamed with sleek, clean-lined skirts and tailored trousers to fully capture the essence of Schiele’s drawings. 

The colour palette of Schiele’s drawings is also referenced through the collection’s designs, with the incorporation of crisp shades of nudes, camels and muted earthy maroon hues. Striped, long-sleeve tops in sheer black and baby pink are boldly contrasted with rustic, shearling knits. Whilst feminine dresses, in creams and pinks, are boldly paired with blue, shearling stoles.

One of the standout pieces from the collection comes in the form of a black, sheer, long-sleeved dress, with an extreme neckline slashed to the navel, cinched in at the waist for a flattering innovative design.

The looks were finished with dewy makeup on the models whilst messy mini buns in their hair was an eccentric nod to the 90s. Bold hoop earrings woven out of wool continued the theme within the collection, creating a raw, fresh, original line that stays true to the Shao Yen label.

Alexandra Davis
Photos: Elena Molina