Xander Zhou is one of London’s fast-rising stars. A headline collab with laptop manufacturer ThinkPad shows that there’s plenty of alternative ways of funding a top-flight show, but focusing on that would do a disservice to Zhou’s collection. Packed full of ideas, from leather tabards (much nicer than that sounds) to sharply-cut tailoring, and a playful approach to androgyny that riffs on themes explored by JW Anderson. While thigh garters might not be one trend that’ll make it onto The Sartorialist, but playful details like extra-long sleeves, digital print mashups and a coloured perspex shoe overlay are bold ideas carried off well. Tailoring was sleekly-cut, often borrowing from womenswear and recreating an early Balenciaga futuristic vibe, Zhou’s collection showed an enormous influx of ideas, distilled up into a maximal show of creativity that makes him definitely one to watch.
Words: Seb Law
