London based Taiwanese designer, APU JAN, known for his innovative knitwear techniques and traditional oriental silhouettes, presented at London Fashion Week his SS18 collection inspired by the short life of spring flowers and their withering. The collection pays a homage to O Henry’s “The Last Leaf “, and remotely echoes the theme of Edgar Allen Poe‘s “The Fall of the House of Usher “.
Oriental elements are deployed through tailoring in form of mandarin collars and horse-hoof sleeves, as well as a mashup of suits and dresses, that are a bit more unisex this season then his usual feminine styles. Loose tailoring and separates are presented alongside soft & floaty dresses, and ApuJan’s staple knitwear, in which the designer mixes various knitting techniques; machine knit and hand knit, creating a series of fine gauge knitwear that are suitable to be worn in the warmer months of Spring and Summer.
This season’s collection features patterns such as blossom petals, fallen petals, leaves, trees, Spring snow, ink, manuscripts and palette, which echoes the theme. The main colour theme is grey, black, white and also pastel blue and pink that symbolise petals. ApuJan heavily uses silk knitting and prints in design creating as always a collection that is extremely wearable and sophisticated but so very delicate at the same time.
