FASHION STORY “CORY ROBERTS" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Interview: Wei Lin and Mijia Zhang Unite Knitwear and Tech with PH5
February 10, 2018 11:00 AM
To be truly innovative, a designer must be able to control a garment's construction down to each thread. That's what makes PH5, the fashion house created by Wei Lin and Mijia Zhang, so extraordinary. Their luxury knits, with a mod-spaceage aesthetic are programmed thread-by-thread through a partnership between Zhang, the creative director, and Lin, who oversees production at her family's factory in Dongguan, China. The result is a seamless hybrid of form and function, technology and human ingenuity, glamour and fun.
"We have full control over everything, from start to finish," explains Zhang, from the balcony of the Samsung 837 building, as 17 models in head-to-toe PH5 knits frolicked in the staging area below. The mission to take knits where they have never gone before begins with Zhang sending a series of sketches to the engineers at the Lin factory, and through a series of correspondences, they arrive at the colorful works of wearable art featured on the models.
Signature PH5 design elements such as stripes, A-line skirts, asymmetric silhouettes, high-leg bodysuits, and straight-legged jumpsuits are present in the new collection as well, but for Fall/Winter 2018, Lin and Zhang decided to pay homage to Italian designers of the 1980s with vibrant colors: a red slack-sleeved dress and magenta A-line skirt with white trim are particularly striking. But for Lin and Zhang, functionality is just as important as design. They have engineered their garments to be comfortable on the skin, resistant to pilling and stretching, and easy to wash and care for.
Because technology is such an integral part of Lin and Zhang's design and production, they paid homage to the Dongguan factory that brings their ideas to life with a virtual reality display. It afforded curiosity-seekers at their fashion show a 360-degree look at the dozens of massive machines with flashing lights and knobs, controlled by highly-skilled engineers and machinists, that spit out meticulously constructed jumpsuits, skirts and dresses. In a further nod to the importance of tech in design, PH5 chose two of its models from Girls Who Code, a national non-profit dedicated to increasing interest and participation in tech fields by young women.
PH5 designs have been compared to Missoni, because of their knit construction and signature stripes, but I look at it more along the lines of early Pucci. Each piece is timeless and collectable, as wearable now as it will be in decades. To get your hands on a piece of Ph5 fashion history, you can check out their own e-commerce site, or look for select designs online at Shopbop and Moda Operandi. But if you are hunting for the knit knee-high boots seen in the F/W 2018 show, be forewarned. They were created in small numbers for the models to wear at the show, but Lin and Zhang have not yet decided whether to add them to their upcoming production run. On behalf of myself and several other shoe-hounds milling about the show, we desperately hope the turquoise boots get the green light.
WRITTEN BY KAREN-FRAGALA SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHY: RYOSUKE MIYAI
related posts
Contemporary Luxury Welcomes #TFWGucci
The swaths of newfound Gucci aficionados are certain to be charmed by the fashion house’s latest collaborative campaign, #TFWGucci (“That Feel When” or “That Feeling When”), a meme-based, creative...
FASHION STORY “MY OWN STORY"
FASHION STORY “MY OWN STORY" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
FASHION STORY "PLAY DEAD"
FASHION STORY "PLAY DEAD" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
CHANEL PFW F/W2017 READY-TO-WEAR
Karl Lagerfeld has done it once again with an impressive “launch” of Chanel’s Fall-Winter 2017 ready-to-wear collection.
FASHION STORY "PLASTIC WOMAN"
FASHION STORY "PLASTIC WOMAN" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
MIU MIU PFW F/W2017 READY-TO-WEAR
On the final day of Paris Fashion Week, Miuccia Prada swept fashion connoisseurs into a teenage dream at the Miu Miu Fall-Winter 2017 ready-to-wear show. For the designer’s more spontaneous...
FASHION STORY "DEN DANSKE PIGE"
FASHION STORY "DEN DANSKE PIGE" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
LOUIS VUITTON PFW F/W2017 READY-TO-WEAR
Before witnessing the rhythmic succession of models down the catwalk, the audience experiences an atmosphere created by a ballet of sounds and lights dancing...
PRADA F/W2017 READY-TO-WEAR
We live in a highly politicized climate, and the fashion world is no exception.
SAINT LAURENT PFW F/W2017 READY-TO-WEAR
The insurmountable responsibility of designing a collection for Saint Laurent goes without saying.
JIL SANDER NAVY FASHION STORY "MIRROR MIRROR"
JIL SANDER NAVY Fashion Story "MIRROR MIRROR" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial
GUCCI F/W2017 READY-TO-WEAR
Kicking off Milan fashion week, Gucci introduced its Fall-Winter 2017 ready-to-wear collection in “The Alchemist’s Garden: an anti-modern laboratory.” Septum piercings, shining...
Kiesza Exclusive Interview / Fashion Story "KIESZA"
Kiesza Exclusive Interview / Fashion Story "KIESZA" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial
Miu Miu S/S2017 COLLECTION “Suddenly Next Summer”
Imagine yourself wearing whimsical patterns on a warm sunny day on the sandy coast of California.
Giuseppe Zanotti S/S2017 Collection “Raw Beauty”
The latest Giuseppe Zanotti advertising campaign was captured by Mario Sorrenti, and Spring-Summer 2017 “Raw Beauty” certainly does not...
TWELV MAGAZINE NEW YEAR PARTY @HAPPY ENDING
Find and enjoy more photos on TWELV Facebook
Dior Lady Art
"I have always been interested in getting my work out into the world," said artist Chris Martin in a promotional video shot for his collaboration with Dior, entitled "Dior...
Fashion story "The Golden Child "
FASHION STORY "THE GOLDEN CHILD" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Chanel 2017 Métiers d’Art Collection
Karl Lagerfeld introduces Chanel’s beautiful Pre-Spring collection at the luxurious Ritz Paris.
FASHION STORY "HAPPY ENDING"
FASHION STORY "HAPPY ENDING" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Viktor & Rolf Exhibition Opens in Australia
From October 21, 2016, to February 26, 2017, the Dutch design duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren are hosting their fourth solo exhibition, Viktor & Rolf: Fashion...
BEAUTY STORY "LA STRADA"
BEAUTY STORY “La Strada" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
ICB FASHION STORY "ICB"
FASHION STORY “ICB" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Miu Miu "SUNSET TO SUNRISE" Croisere2017 CAMPAIGN
Miu Miu has just released the Croisiere 2017 Campaign for their new collection, captured by fashion photographer Alasdair McLellan.
DKNY FASHION STORY "DAZED KIDS NEW YORK"
FASHION STORY “Dazed Kids New York" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
TWELV MAGAZINE HALLOWEEN PARTY "DEATH ON THE DANCEFLOOR" @HAPPY ENDING
Find and enjoy more photos on TWELV Facebook
CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA x BARBIE
British luxury shoe and accessory designer, Charlotte Olympia, is having her childhood dream come true.
FASHION STORY "MAO"
FASHION STORY “MAO" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
Hermès - La Fabrique de la Soie
« Hermès »… One of the first things that come to mind when hearing this name is the brand's worldwide famous carré.
VIKTOR & ROLF FIRST MARIAGE COLLECTION WITH JUSTIN ALEXANDER
Nothing is more attention grabbing than pure ingenuity, especially when it is expressed and executed properly.
MOSCHINO S/S2017 READY-TO-WEAR
MOSCHINO: LET'S PLAY PAPER DOLL DRESS UP!
60+ Charming Cut-Outs for 34 Dolls
FASHION STORY "ESTEE"
FASHION STORY “ESTEE" is now available!
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
LOUIS VUITTON PFW S/S2017 READY-TO-WEAR
For the first time, the Louis Vuitton fashion show on October 5 took place in the future home of the brand’s store, located exclusively at Paris.