Caroline Hu charmingly describes her design philosophy as “creating a delicate path between romanticism and chaos”. Her aesthetic may vary by geography and headspace, but ultimately being able to walk through the streets of Paris puts her in a sentimental, uninhibited state of mind. “When I see fallen leaves and petals, it moves me more than I thought,” the designer said at a show at Galerie Hussenot in the Marais this week. “There is a feeling that everything will pass, but everything will come back.”
In Shanghai, Hu and her team channeled this sense of release into poetic dresses featuring swathes of periwinkle blooms Sandwiched between layers of light beige tulle, or scattered dark hand-crocheted buds on a pink jersey dress. Some of the pieces are displayed under a bell-like casing crafted from plastic lanyard threads. These are more artistry than utility, but for Hu they represent an expression of hope. Although not immediately obvious, the flowers also appear on column dresses in blurry abstract prints created from photographs that have been magnified many times; Fuchsia silk speckled display.
Hu’s process was more painterly than Designer Y’s: she admits to not having a particular intuition with the end client in mind. Regardless, she’s clearly doing something right: her romantic, intricate hand-pleated, pleated and draped pieces, paired with military boots, have recently caught the attention of clients in the US and the Middle East. She will be added to the official PFW calendar next season. She has every reason to stick to her own path, and she has every reason to be proud of herself.
