Tulle and merino dress with hat

Dawei Zhang intepreted June Black's 'Costume in which to unpick the locks of grandeur' for the Intellectual Fashion Show 2016Dawei is firmly entrenched in New Zealand’s fashion industry. He owns Dollie Vardin, the millinery label started by Ailie Miller and he also works for designer Liz Mitchell. "Since the Tang Dynasty, Chinese people have looked to the moon to express their mood and emotions. I have translated this philosophy to create a contemporary and emotional representation of line, shape and silhouette. Using lots of tulle to build different levels and to occupy the space creates a hazy feeling of mystery and sadness. While the mass of tulle at the front is defensive, the back of the body is inscribed with minimalist black lines which together with the naked skin present a new open composition. The hat signifies the moon as a literal translation of emotion. By covering the face and elevating the hat on a slight angle, it addresses the notion of grandeur. The surface of the hat is designed to mirror the surroundings and the space that is reflected onto it, into it."

Details

Photographer: Fraser Chatham
Copyright: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 Licence
Designer: Dawei Zhang
Garment type: Dress, hat
Material: Nylon tulle, merino wool dress, acrylic, metal, rayon fringing
Colour: Black
Label: Dawei Zhang (dress), Dollie Vardin (hat)
Date: 2016