Huishan Zhang Autumn Winter 2025 Collection. The Dorchester, London, February 22nd 2025
There’s something electric about Huishan Zhang’s AW25 collection — an interplay of glamour and rebellion, meticulously staged in the gilded halls of The Dorchester. The show felt like stepping into a cinematic dream, where the high-octane sophistication of mid-century couture collided with the free-spirited energy of the ’60s Youthquake movement.
Words by Adam Chan.
Inspired by the enigmatic Edie Sedgwick and the intoxicating allure of Valley of the Dolls, Zhang’s latest offering embraced contradiction. Precision met excess. Elegance met chaos. The collection opened with razor-sharp tailoring — double-breasted suits in sand wool and denim, crisp poplin shirting punctuated by skinny black ties. But just as we settled into its poised masculinity, a rush of feathers, sequins, and sheer embroidered tulle upended expectations.
Silhouettes shifted between structured and fluid, from sculptural tulip-waist dresses to flowing gowns with trailing capes. The palette was equally dynamic — graphic black and white interrupted by jolts of fuchsia, pistachio, and silver. A standout moment? The sheer nude gown, its delicate embroidery shimmering under The Dorchester’s chandeliers, crowned with a dramatic feathered headpiece — both ethereal and defiant.
Zhang’s signature craftsmanship shone in the details: metallic jacquards, intricate lattice embroidery on tweed, and oversized bows adorning duchesse satin dresses. Exuberant faux fur and slick go-go boots grounded the collection in its ’60s references, while plastic coats layered over couture-like ensembles nodded to Sedgwick’s Factory-era irreverence.
“The ’60s taught us that progress is rarely linear,” Zhang noted. And indeed, his AW25 collection was a masterclass in duality — refined yet radical, poised yet unpredictable. In a world that often demands either-or, Zhang reminds us that fashion, like history, is most compelling when it refuses to choose.
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