UNDERAGE A/W19

 They Say The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I say Twin Peaks.

            The Underage Presentation was fun. The invitation urged you to join but warned you of the danger and horror that lied ahead, you got dried flowers rolled in a blunt and customised matches as you walked in, and a soft, subtle yet eerie soundtrack followed you through the exploration of this new collection. It was made for a generation that would appreciate it, that knows of the blurred lines of sexuality and gender and isn’t afraid of them, a generation that chooses to question labels instead of the unknown.

I, rather selfishly, have placed a Twin Peaks narrative on the experience since the soundtrack, paired with the blush background and the strange tank of something that looked alien in it placed in the middle amongst the models contributed to me walking out and saying “did anyone else get the Twin Peaks vibe?”.  Tell me you didn’t see Laura Palmer in the girl with pink hair and the slashed black dress, a colourful fabric “oozing” out of the wound across the chest. I dare you.

Chunky leather booths, big logos, ombre wool sweaters (a personal favourite), colour and material block coats, monochrome trenches and jacquard suits and skirts were enough to create a blend of the 70s, the sexual revolution and the modernity of Gen-Z in one collection, in a stuffy black room that nobody seemed to want to get out of. A mixture of clashing materials such as wool and jacquard was what elevated a lot of the final looks while also making them seem effortlessly cool. This was definitely strengthened by the models who had these sort of blank, bored stares that intimidated anyone that walked in and wasn’t as cool as they were; they changed up positions, giving the crowd with their phones out whatever they wanted, almost as if they were there just to please their Instagram fantasies.

However, back to the designer’s actual vision, the Rocky Horror references are there, they’re clear and they’re practically screaming and begging for your attention. The collection, just like the cult classic, is a mixture of modern and traditional, always referencing sex and blurring the set idea of gender that anyone walking into the room has in their head. It can be seen in the use of leather, the blunt contrasts of traditional silhouettes with interruptions of pseudosexual graphics and streetwear details, like the small sunglasses or the metallic red puffer jacket. Truly, a celebration of pop culture and social inquiries of what’s to be considered “strange”.

            Beijing born Creative Director, Ying Shen managed to create a solid collection that would definitely be purchased by any Gen-Z streetstyle-savvy kid, but the creativity lies in her presentation of it. While the most of the looks, deconstructed, may not stand out, put together they intrigue onlookers in a good way. It’s not exactly innovative but it’s still exciting and more put together than streetstyle-focused brands throwing together all sorts of trends to create literal hypebeasts.