story by Michael Fragoso
photos by Freda Henry
photo editing by Katie Piper
Demure in a floor length black brocade gown, designer Way Zen pours Ti Kuan Yin tea for herself in preparation for her show. “I don’t care about any of the trends of today, I just worry about what I like,” she says. Way’s homeland of China is what she calls her “roots,” but her main inspiration for the line is a merging of Ancient Chinese and Old New York. “However, I prefer to use a blend of New York and Chinese heritage, since I’ve lived here for so long.”
These ideas and influences can clearly be seen in her designs, featuring throwback patterns to ’40s Manhattan Art Deco and Chinese motifs of good luck koi fish and dragonflies. The clothes themselves are intensely wearable and all feature hand-treated fabrics. Way describes her technique: “this season, we treated all of the tulle, brocade and lace with hand dyeing and texture techniques.” “We wanted to create an organic look, lots of animal motifs, simple colors, leaves and foliage.” That’s not to say that JSong is a simple safari theme exercise. Its sophisticated looks and beautiful tailoring call back to a much more glamorous era.
Hand sewn embroidery, appliqués, and beads were featured on many of the dresses, which were long and conservative without looking matronly. Models wore minimal makeup and an elegant chignon, a stark different to past shows where makeup and hair took the center stage. Some of the more breathtaking looks included a metallic dress with a Chinese-inspired motif, and an elegant 40s-inspired black and white gown, complete with a great checkered pattern.
Zen has a devil may care attitude when it comes to trends and seasons. She creates exactly what she thinks is beautiful and easy to wear, and that’s exactly what it came across as: simple and elegant.
Overheard at the show, a woman loudly whispered to her friend “I must get that, that, and that.”
