Yu Mei’s installation New Zealand Fashion Week 2017.
We love it when designers take us outside our usual fashion week comfort zone. Not to say we don’t love the spectacle of the runway but sometimes it is brilliant to appreciate a collection in a more unique way. In the case of Yu Mei’s leather showcase, it meant bags suspended in mid-air, surrounded by proteas and springtime blooms.
With Solange on the playlist, cocktails at the ready and of course fashion media and buyers on hand, it made for a fascinating interlude from the crazy day of runway shows. Yu Mei’s AW18 collection, titled ‘Ceci N’Est Pas Un Sac’ or “this is not a bag” paid homage to Magritte perhaps. It also served as a reminder to appreciate the design and simplicity of leather goods for what they are. The way in which pieces accompany the female form and the way in which we carry ourselves and choose to dress dictates how the silhouette and identity we adopt is interpreted.
With a range of sizes, styles and finishes, there is something for everyone. We love the suede Hannah bag, in shades of rich burgundy, chocolate brown and opulent black. There are also styles adorned with sketches of the female silhouette and form. As someone who tries to minimise the amount of clutter I carry around, to varying degrees of success, I appreciate the fold over Lise clutches. For those of you who want something with space, the bucket bags are available in dreamy soft leather finishes. If you want to channel an intellectual straight out of a Donna Tartt novel, we think the Caughley bag is just the ticket.
We were extremely taken by the designs and finishes of this collection with its appreciation of simplicity and fine design in richer, classic Autumnal colours. Yu Mei have certainly won our accessory loving hearts for AW18.
Soundtrack: Solange’s ‘Cranes In The Sky’.
Hot Item: The Hannah bag in Bordeaux suede.
Images by Katherine Tuenter.