When it comes to menswear today, the question is hardly the radical its of the cuts but rather the ability to play with materials in a bid to impart a mood, a lifestyle and a vision of the contemporary wardrobe. At Sean Suen, a new entry on the Paris menswear schedule, this was exactly the point.
His notes referenced China-centric Orientalism, when the Middle Empire became a cultural obsession and a source for rare objects. Revisited as a contemporary fashion brand, it meant an urban wardrobe with a touch of the East. The mix between these trademark volumes loved by Asian designers, the supple fabrics and his painterly eye – China born and bred, Suen trained at the Beaux Arts before veering off into fashion – served to draw a picture of masculine grace in motion.
One possible inspiration could have been Asian martial arts. Kickboxing perhaps? Those abbreviated shorts, with side zips left open all the way up to the waist and their longer, fluid counterparts certainly implied this, as did the silky overcoats that could have been a champion's deluxe robe. A slouchy decontraction voided the violence, and the charm, of many of these bottom heavy pieces.
Having previously shown in London, the designer offered Paris an innocuous first taste. The subtly cracked texture of a biker jacket, or the flowing cut of a pair of leather boxer shorts, the puckering of sleeves and waistline to echo the elasticated band of sportswear, the wardrobe proposed by the Chinese designer didn't break any new ground. But in a season that didn't experience any rip tides, this sophisticated detailing certainly offers Sean Suen a place on the circuit, and perhaps some retail racks.
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