Photo: Vogue
Since her label’s debut, Lisa Von Tang, a Chinese-German designer based in Singapore, has created a successful business model for herself. She plans to use this momentum and take on North America next.
Von Tang showcased her fall collection called “Dare to Die,” which displayed a combination of dressy separates and formal nightwear at the classy Veronika restaurant during the New York Fashion Week.
The pieces in this installation were inspired by a mythological Chinese bird described as the phoenix called Fenghuang. “She falls to ashes, but she rebirths,” said Von Tang.
The pieces have phoenix designs embroidered onto evening jackets and shaped as Swarovski crystals into ablaze. Von Tang didn’t back down in putting decorative details such as sequin flames at the crotch of her daring catsuit; this is what makes it so glare-worthy.
Von Tang’s more pared-back pieces stole the show. She thoughtfully made several figure-hugging knitwear items from recycled materials such as nylon, yak fiber, and alpaca. The whole collection is created in a factory powered by solar energy.
A cream-colored knit gown was detailed asymmetrically, with long sleeves on one side and crystal shoulder straps. In addition to this traditional Cheongsam outfit, one model also donned an elegant magenta silk two-piece suit with a jacket channeling curved hemlines.
“I wanted to use more stretch materials and make it a little more casual,” said Von Tang about her experimentation.
The designer tried out the Y2K mood that appears to be recently dominating the fashion world. “I want to do it in a way that doesn’t feel like Chinese New year – a little more contemporary and modern,” she said.
