This season, Asian-American designer Chet Lo has stepped away from the Fashion East umbrella, appearing at London Fashion Week for the first time of his own accord. For his latest collection under Lulu Kennedy’s talent agency, Chet Lo paid homage to the glamor of après-ski with a collection embellished with eccentric skiwear detailed with his wire-knit technique fishing.
For Spring/Summer 2023, Lo referenced his childhood growing up Buddhist, frequenting temples and studying his cultural background. Taking inspiration from ancient Buddhist tales, the collection pays homage to the peaceful religion and finding that same sense of calm within oneself. Dubbed “Baai-San,” attendees filed into London’s Old Selfridges hotel in anticipation of the designer’s solo debut. The soothing divine music echoed from wall to wall and as the lights went up, the stillness rose to rapture, transformed into a roaring techno beat.
Lo’s identifiable spiky knitwear was spread across multiple looks, opting to open the show in a Forest Green crop top dress accompanied by an XL textured globular hat stimulated by lily pads. Representing purity and virtue, the flower is seen in 3D plastic renderings, adorning headdresses and strappy sandals. Sheer organza is embellished with botanical arrangements, acting as a window to the female body. The designer straddles the lines of illusion and reality this season, as slit dresses feature striped detail up close, but delicate florals are seen from afar. Low-slung flared trousers matched petite blouses, while knits tied with tiny mini skirts.
Lo’s menswear debut featured skinny t-shirts splashed with gradient blue spots, which also flowed into coordinating denim sets created in collaboration with ISKO. Spiked tops accompanied parallel skirts, full head coverings and sling bags in bright red and pale blue tones.
Colossal globes dangled from the hands of models walking the runway, while miniature phone cases wrapped around their wrists like snakes, high in mid-air.
Chet Lo’s SS23 “Baai-San” collection can be seen in the gallery above. Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 content as the week continues.
Elsewhere, NOKI presents its SS23 collection, celebrating culture, quirkiness and art.
