Caroline Hu showed a series of unique pieces in a run-down apartment in Paris, whose dark, moody atmosphere somehow offset the flamboyance of the line-up, the intricate execution and the vibrancy of the printed surfaces. Generous play of draping and layering turned each creation into a fantastic, voluminous presence, each taking up a lot of space and attention. “It’s about relationships and keeping distance,” Hu said rather cryptically.
Hu begins each collection with her oil paintings, which capture personal feelings and then translate them into textiles and patterns; shapes are formed directly on mannequins. This season had the feeling of struggling. “There’s a lot going on in the world right now,” she said. “The politics, the economy, everything is more difficult, there is darkness around me, so I wanted to create something to protect people from this darkness, create a world of romance and fantasy, because life needs hope.”
The colors were bright and saturated, with flashes of black as counterpoint; smocked silk and layered tulle, vintage crochet lace and plastic lanyards, beaded and sequined silk overlays were layered and draped in abstract, imaginative shapes – some sleek and fluid, some wavy and airy, some voluminous. A highlight was a mixture of yards of black tulle, hung over a billowing crinoline made from inflatable cushions, printed in vibrant shades of green and pink and then appliquéd with round sequined rosettes. Artistic and imaginative, Hu’s creations seemed to emerge from spontaneous, emotional gestures that turned into beauty and fantasy.
