Referencing Mei Lanfang’s life (a Peking Opera master who revolutionized the theatrical world of the early 20th century) Sean Suen newest collection is a dance of the opposites. Renowned for having embodied over 180 women on stage, Mr Lanfang transcended gender norms and transgressed societal rules. Sean Suen’s S/S25 collection draws inspiration from Mr Lanfang’s dual identity, between western formal attire and magnificent Peking Opera costumes.

Nods to Chinese fashion appear throughout the whole runway, from buttoned mandarin jackets to Zhongshan suits made of glossy leather. Blending traditional Oriental techniques and fabrics with Western tailoring gives the collection its hybridity, halfway through East and West, male and female. 

Bright greens, bold reds and luminous yellows reminiscent of traditional Peking Opera by their strong stage appeal are contrasted with black, white and navy blue typical of contemporary fashion. Playing with an in-betweenness and unreliability of the senses, Sean Suen dreams about “creating images to convey meaning”, because a picture is worth a thousand words.