Dawei Runway FW19/20
Represented by Catherine Miran Paris.
Dangerous, but harmless. In DAWEI’s eye, the most fearful creature can be just as innocent as a cat, full of tenderness.
Dangerous animals are approaching, but there’s no need to be alarmed. Childlike drawing dinosaurs came in ‘crazy’ fringes, and the ‘scary’ claw scratches were even cute, in a way.
Dawei FW19/20
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Photos: Gaby Acosta
Apart from the eye-catching knitwear and prints, dinosaurs are hidden in the silhouette, turning their spiky bones into asymmetrical ruffles and pleats.
“Loud and powerful” not only describe dinosaurs, but also the retro vibe. DAWEI turned to the disco age of shoulder pads and shimmering fabrics, adding a touch of nostalgia to his modern looks.
DAWEI’s signature urban, minimalist style is still playing the main role in the collection, with silk prints, gingham halterneck dresses, and winter staple wool coats, paired with sporty high socks.
Interview with Dawei Sun by Pablo Starr
Q:This is your first runway in Paris. You must be very excited. How are you preparing?
In fact, it’s not my first fashion show in Paris. I already had the chance to make a show in Paris when I was artistic director of Cacharel, but this time it’s different because I do it in my own name and I present my own collection.
I am very happy and honored, this is something I was looking forward to. Paris represents everything for me. This is where I studied and took my first steps in fashion. This is the capital of fashion and it’s here that I decided to create my brand, so being able to make a fashion show here today represents the accomplishment of a long journey.
Paris is where I studied and took my first steps in fashion
I’m very concentrated for the last prep, working with my team that I thank, and external talents that accompany me with a lot of kindness.
Q: What can we expect to see from this season’s collection? What is the theme or inspiration?
My FW 19 collection is inspired by a simple idea of a wild nature and ferocious beasts that look very dangerous and that in reality are harmless and tender like a cat.
The bad guy is not always the one who looks the most, and the real danger does not always come from where we think. Things are not always as we imagine they are. You have to know how to look beyond appearances, dig to discover the truth.
You have to know how to look beyond appearances
Q: You trained at both John Galliano and Balenciaga. How did they influence you (or have they)?
These are two extremely talented designers and I think I had a great chance to work in their team.
From Galliano I learned a great openness to the world and endless curiosity. He is interested in so many things and especially in cultures other than his own. He is pushing his teams to do the same. This curiosity I kept with me.
From Ghesquière I learned to experiment, that nothing is impossible and that the structure of a garment can always be questioned, challenged to find new forms.
From Galliano I learned endless curiosity. From Ghesquière I learned to experiment
Q: What draws you to some of the looks you favor, such as asymmetry, complex draping, and silhouettes that are both voluminous and fitted?
I like fallen fabrics, seeing what gravity forces them to do.
Everything starts from the fabrics, their touch, their fall; each is different, unique.
Everything starts from the fabrics
With the movement comes the asymmetry, like a small accident, a quirk that gives even more uniqueness and character to the fabric. I like to build and deconstruct a garment. I keep the joy in the construction, I like to challenge the fabrics through the shape to find at a silhouette which is at once dynamic, new and always feminine.
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With love,
FWO
