Full Circle with Kim Shui

September 11, 2023

Kim Shui always knows how to honor the figure of the woman. She’s debuted collections time and time again that adorn the female form in lacy frocks, slinky mesh prints, and sexy cutouts that encourage wearers to dare outside of their comfort zone. But for the designer’s Spring/Summer 2024 Collection, titled 999, these flamboyant pieces were more than just a celebration of divine feminism, but a celebration of the woman that Shui has become herself.

Growing up Chinese-American in Italy, there were many times were Kim Shui felt like not “enough” of anything — an outlier in a world that denotes many concepts in black and white. But it wasn’t until later in Shui’s life that she discovered the power of feeling different. Just like she has taught her devoted onlookers to love the bits of themselves that have been labeled by society, many times over, to conceal, she has not taught herself how to love even the most complicated parts of herself — weaponizing the idea of “otherness.”

Interview by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos by Momo Charlton

Exploring the ornate, the hyperfeminine, and motifs or vibrant patterns that are considered to be “oriental,” and owning them in her own personal way, Shui presents a jewel-toned color-explosion of a collection, wrapped up in taffeta, silk ribbons, and lace. The collection, which features a range of sultry corset and bloomer sets, elegant slips, and seductive sequined minis, also includes the use of a heritage textile called Mud Silk, a 100% biodegradable textile with a 2,500-year tradition in Southeast China derived from the Ming dynasty. The resource is dyed using natural dye from the anti-microbial Chinese Yam, bringing the collection full circle and honoring the upbringing that has shaped Shui into the powerful woman and artist she is today.

office spoke to Shui post-show to discuss this newfound power she has settled into, the Roman mythology and heritage cultural traditions that inspired key elements, and her affinity for never taking the runway too seriously.

What is the inspiration behind this collection?

I was inspired by two artists I really love — Hannah Lim and Faye Wei Wei. Hannah explores a lot of the same themes I do — taking elements like chinoiserie and turning the viewpoint on them, flipping the idea that the ornamental (which is associated with femininity and the oriental) and thought of as negative instead into sources of joy. Also if you look at the fabrics — they’re Chinese embroidered silks, there’s also a heritage fabric called Mud Silk in the collection, and it’s mixed with figure hugging silhouettes and shaped waist power suits. Lace, sequins, tulle, explosive colors — I wanted to highlight these for the collection.

Which look was your favorite to work on?

Look 1 was crazy to work on because when I had originally draped it the shape it was perfect and organic and felt just right — I hadn’t fully finished it yet though so there were just pins and we tried the unfinished version on the models to fit but then the drape moved and I couldn’t get the same shape again. So I spent another good 5 hours the night before the show getting the original look back and making sure it was properly finished. I refused to stop working on it until I got it right.

How have you learned to weaponize the idea of “otherness” through your craft?

I think it’s to emphasize those themes even more in my collections and turn them into items of celebration.

Fashion

Bleu Pole

Diana wears all DIESEL

Diana wears UNDERWEAR by INTIMISSIMI, SHOES by COPERNI

Diana wears BODYSUIT by XULY BËT, SHOES by COPERNI, RINGS by LA MANSO

LEFT: Diana wears BODYSUIT and TOP by RHI ZHOU, SHOES by XULY BËT

RIGHT: Diana wears BODYSUIT by XULY BËT, SHOES by COPERNI, BAG by MARINE SERRE

Diana wears JACKET and UNDERWEAR by AVELLANO, SHOES by COPERNI

Fashion

s.k. manor hill A/W 24 collection

Fashion

TEMET: If Skims Met Skins

November 04, 2024

I often wonder where the first “afters” happened — whether it was right here in New York or somewhere else. The afters: that hazy, half-lit party that stretches into the morning, more intimate than dancing skin-to-skin with someone you just met, where the crowd thins to only those willing to let the night bleed into morning. Here, you get to watch the sunrise together too.

But today, no matter where you go in the world, if you're at a rave or DIY party, there's probably an afters. If you've never been to one, or don’t care to be, you’ve probably scrolled through your feed and seen that one story: morning sun flooding a cluttered living room, hot people still dancing, bodies tangled on a worn couch — lost in the aftermath of a night that refuses to end.

Creative Director Kiernan Francis
Designer TEMET
Photographer (Still) Alejandro Yullo
Director of Photography & Editor (Moving) Ava Papunen
Stylist Abby Bencie
Makeup Rory Alvarez
Casting Director Kiernan Francis
Lighting Director & Retoucher Lida Ramsay
Executive Producer Kiernan Francis
Associate Producer Ava Perman
Brand Producer Juanita
Soundtrack: "Revolution," Billy Doll (EXCLUSIVE RELEASE)
Makeup Assistant Kandi Milk
Fashion Assistant Jackson Prus
Production Assistant Peyton Nguyen
Production Assistant Emmanuel Delator
Production Assistant Axl Checho

This editorial for Chilean-based TEMET, a brand deeply woven into the underground music and nightlife scene, captures that noctural alchemy. Creative directed by New York’s own Kiernan Francis, the shoot draws inspiration from the afters’ electric liminality. Francis sought to celebrate the paradox of private and public life — where our truest selves might emerge within nightlife and fade into the versions of ourselves we show the world by daylight.

The cast was a mix of DJs, artists, and street-scouted creatives — some known to Francis from the scene, others discovered through social media. The styling leaned into shapewear as an experience, framed by a backdrop that evokes the afters: crowded couches, messy rooms, and the chaos of a night extending into morning. The result? A series that feels like SKIMS meeting Skins UK.