Yuhan Wang’s feline quest for expression in AW22.
Yuhan Wang is swiftly turning away from perfection this season. Showcasing her collection, titled Venus in Furs, the London-based designer wanted to celebrate the freedom of imperfection and the power behind owning every part that comes to us - the good, the bad, the beautiful.
Wang took upon referencing Roman mythology and the original meaning given to Venus, symbolising an ideal of beauty and sensuality. Including references from Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch’s Venus in Furs, there was an overall sense of reevaluating the power dynamic between people, drawing a parallel between centuries of male gaze and influence.
Cat motifs, printed onto white wrap dresses, seen on beige knitwear and onto green leather dresses, brought on the feeling expressed by Thomas M. Earl, and his discussion on the cat being linked as the “perfect pet”. These references further brought on a revisited conversation on the loaded positive and negative connotation on women and their link with being feline – or called cat-like. Alongside the signature Yuhan Wang confidently floral jacquards, there was attention towards an even bigger sustainable approach – reused faux leather from a local supplier, hair pieces made from corn plastic, and utilising a polyactic acid instead of plastic for the Greek goddess inspired eye and nose pieces.
Carving her own unique understanding of what is cute and what is powerful, Yuhan Wang has grown within herself into a powerful designer that is never complacent towards revisiting conversations about the meaning of gender roles and society’s quest of definition, marking her as a fresh highlight, bringing excitement and attention towards combining craftsmanship and layered referencing together into flowing expression.
