Chet Lo brings knitted evening wear to the runway

Independent

23-02-2025

Chet Lo fashioned his pointed knitwear into evening gowns at London Fashion Week.
Known for his avant-garde, textural and tactile designs, the Asian- American designer reinterpreted classical east Asian motifs and incorporated them into his autumn/winter 2025 collection.
Lo, decided to 'confront the colonialist Western interpretation of Asian art', reinterpreting chinoiserie patterned fabric through his own perspective.
Entitled 'Modern Antiquity', the collection transformed these classical motifs into modern and authentically Asian designs.
Lo took striking prints, such as tiger stripes, and distorted them. Alongside animal motifs, Lo took the cherry blossom's floral formation and morphed them into clouds; blurring the boundaries between varying natural forms.
As usual, Chet Lo's signature textures dominated the collection, with his iconic merino wool spikes, intricate woven pleating and plush knitted techniques creating 3-dimensional floral patterns through shape as opposed to print.
The collection embraced depth and structure through both its fabric, form, and its symbolism.
The palette consisted of plum purples, berry reds, muted sage and charcoal greys.
While Chet Lo's looks are quintessentially cool, his hooded knitwear, collared jumpers and floral printed ties leant into the preppy knitwear trends of the moment.
Lo's Nineties style evening wear stole the show; with slinky open backs and square necklines in Lo's signature pointed wool pouring into the runway.
Chet Lo's collection successfully reclaimed the narrative of chinoiserie, turning age-old Western interpretations into powerful modern statements of Asian artistry.