The inherent logic of things themselves might not seem fascinating initially. It’s only when we view them from our own perspective that they become intriguing. However, what we discover may not truly be ‘order’; instead, it could be a reflection of our subjective understanding. We could call this ‘vitality.’
A year ago, during the brand’s first visit to Paris, we wrote about the concept of tranquility taking time to create, like crafting a pair of eyes over thirty days or refining a piece of fabric across three seasons, with one aspect being resolute and the other exuding warmth. Embracing the passage of time has always been the brand’s constant theme because only time’s limitless extension can broaden the confines of this enclosed dimension. In the blink of an eye, a whole year has passed, and SS24 marks RUOHAN’s third collection at Paris Fashion Week. Everything seems to have progressed as planned.
Ruohan
Visuals by Shoji Fujii @shojifujii
Amidst the retrospective disorder, we are gradually uncovering the inner logic and structure that belong to RUOHAN. Much like how our perception of the world’s composition is built from point-form lines, and lines form shapes, which then evolve into three-dimensional entities. The aim is to fold these elements into three collections, using a reverse logic to create an extensive narrative that fuses ideals and reality.
“The landscape before seeing a landscape painting and the landscape after seeing one are two different worlds.” If, someday, viewers of RUOHAN can approach our clothing in a way similar to touring a Chinese landscape painting, then perhaps our garments will naturally possess a sense of duration, unfolding sequentially across different times and spaces. The proportional perspective could be secondary; the focus should be on the continuity of imagery.
In March, the Autumn/Winter series explored the fundamental forms of clothing, discovering a subjective square-shaped form in the intangible origins. In September, we simplified surfaces into lines, aiming to uncover connections within the framework, system, and hidden structures. This marks the second chapter in our collection’s disorderly narrative, gradually transitioning towards rationality. It’s also an exploration of Ruohan Nie’s linear perception of this vast world within her cultural context, which could be called a perspective of connectivity. Within surfaces, lines, and points, lines are the most liberated, lacking a clear beginning or end yet capable of connecting points and surfaces in various dimensions. Just like a writer leaving marks on paper or a traveler leaving footprints on the ground, truly witnessing the existence of these living lines requires a combination of sensibility and reason, continuous movements, and constant observations.
“The interplay of reason and sensibility exists in RUOHAN’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, which uses six linear languages to connect from surfaces to points, from March 2023 to March 2024. The twilight misty blue, the glimmers of gold and silver on rippling waves—these are the colors we capture from the river beside our Shanghai office every evening. These colors inject vitality into our linear lives. We use clothing as a soft brush and fabric as the texture inside the brushstrokes, exploring fine details and abstractions.
Lines can transform into simple cuts that change how functionality is perceived, representing gravity, transformational integrity, and strength. By folding fabric, we create new forms, born from the skeletal structure of lines. Disjointed connection points and cuts where continuity should be, it’s like breaking down a wall in a dim room and installing a window to let in the light. There’s no need for regularity or specific points of existence. Fabric passes through these cuts, forming knots that create flowing but elusive lines when worn—lines that cannot be measured within the framework of dimensions. The scattered lines within the structure become wide pleats, where the existence of lines seems to lose its meaning, turning into a blank canvas that paradoxically allows us to see what lies beneath. Disorder within the structure, like each breath, a gust of wind passing through—it exists both necessarily and inevitably, without the need for measurement or constant attention.” — Ruohan Nie
The connection between humans and nature, humans and other humans, existence and reality, forms an intricate web of interwoven lines. Life is the process of navigating along these entangled lines. Using lines as gravity, surfaces fold. Along these lines, we walk, weave, observe, paint, and write, creating a rhythm of measurement, although sadly, it can only measure the infinite.
About Ruohan
RUOHAN is a contemporary womenswear brand established in March 2021. Focusing on exceptional fabrics, impeccable details, and precise tailoring, the brand would like to pursue a timeless wardrobe with effortless spirit. Inspired by travel, art, and all forms of design, the brand embodies the style of modern minimalism and chooses to focus on a neutral color palette. Graduated from Parsons School of Design, Ruohan Nie founded her eponymous brand in 2021, known for its minimalist, timeless compositions, and the craftsmanship of materials. At SHFW SS22: the 2021 Lane Crawford x Labelhood Scholarship and the Lab Showroom Commercial Performance Award. Selected to showcase at Harrods x Labelhood pop up in London. Ruohan is in the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week.
##
Learn More
@ruohan.co
Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week schedule
With love,
FWO
