story by Seth Friedermann
photos by Shawn Punch
(photos provided by Blanc de Chine)
What is classic and iconic in one culture’s fashion is often unknown in others’. This creates the opportunity for a revolutionary feeling, when that classic look is exported to a new land. Remember the Nehru Jacket in the mid-60s? This is supposedly the age of Asian ascendancy, the old “Far East” is showing signs of becoming the new center, and the Asian aesthetic and Asian designers have more eyes on them than ever before. Somehow though, the tremendous work from Blanc De Chine has gone largely unnoticed. There is no artistic reason for this, as their work is consistently strong from season to season, and this season was no different.
Blanc De Chine tends to take classical Chinese tailoring, such as mandarin collars and the like, and update them with little twists and turns. That’s just part of their story however, what Blanc De Chine does best is simple elegant and often dramatic silk clothes. You’ll find fewer panels and consequently fewer seams in a Blanc De Chine piece than in most, which helps add to the simple elegant look of their clothes. Very little if any embroidery, and nothing added dimensionally. If there is volume, it is created by hidden supporting structures, such as in a curved shoulder. The Fall 2011 collection also featured perfectly interspersed explosions of rich colored pieces which were more powerful because of their scarcity. It’s the same effect that they achieve when they do throw in something a bit more complex; it just looks so perfect next to the smooth clean lines and fabric of the core garment.
