Kim Shui Celebrates Freedom Through the Female Form

February 13, 2023

Kim Shui’s Fall/Winter 2023 runway show began with models cascading down a marble staircase before strutting atop an elevated runway strewn with official documents, in looks that displayed every facet of sexiness. For Shui, celebrating the bodies of women comes second nature, as her looks commonly drape the body in a goddess-like manner and provide the wearer with uninhibited confidence.

However, in response to the past year and the current climate of the world in which many women have been told who to be, what to wear, and when to wear it, this collection takes that fortitude one step further. Ultra mini-skirts command bodily autonomy while calculated details, such as intricate netting, structured boning, and interwoven laces blur the line between the clothing we wear when we are presenting our public versus our private selves. To Shui, that distinction doesn’t — and shouldn’t — really exist.

Interview by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos: BTS by Matt Weinberger and Leilani Mitchell; Runway by Angel Diaz

office caught up with designer Kim Shui before the opulent runway show on February 12, to talk collection inspiration, empowerment, and demanding freedom through clothing and beyond.

Your collections always celebrate fierce femininity and unbridled confidence in the self. In what ways does the AW23 collection portray these signature themes of yours, but in new and unprecedented ways?

This collection speaks to topical events that have been going on lately and in the past year. It's really looking at this contrast between public versus private spaces and how women move within public and private spheres. So I think it's taking what's part of our brand DNA and now looking at it in a context that's relevant to what's going on today. I would say the overarching theme for it that we really look at is public versus private and what that dialogue means because I think women are held to different standards in both spaces. I wanted to start this conversation about, 'Okay, what really are those standards? What is expected of women in those environments?' And I wanted to examine that, especially when it comes to what we are expected to wear.

Definitely, I feel like fashion is one of the biggest embodiments of that idea of the private versus public — especially when we think of the notion of censorship. It makes me think of how Instagram just removed its ban on women's nipples.

Do you know what's funny, I once posted a story of a friend wearing a mesh top at a party. You could see everything since it was sheer, and this girl responded saying, 'Oh my God.' I thought, Oh my God, doesn't she look good? But she thought it was indecent. And I just thought it was funny that someone would still respond to something like that, in that way. But obviously, this is not just about 'free the nipple.' It goes beyond that into all of the current events of the past year. I just feel like it's wrong to not say anything now. As a brand that is about empowering femininity and celebrating the female body, I think it's just important that we speak on these topics.

On that note of empowerment, what does true freedom signify to you and how do you express that notion through these designs?

I think a lot of it is about having the freedom and choice to wear what you want. Not submitting when you hear, 'You shouldn't be stepping out in something like that,' or being told how much you should be concealed and not concealed. I think it's about being comfortable — if you want to be covered up, then go for it, but if you don't want to be, then that's totally fine too.

I think that's a really important point too. It's allowing people to interpret that sense of 'freedom' in whatever way makes the most sense for them. Comfort is a subjective thing.

Exactly. I'm totally not trying to say that everyone should be exposed, but a big part of it is also celebrating sexuality. I've seen a lot of instances that place the blame on women for the way they dress in terms of how 'sexy' it is, instead of behavior. It all feeds into that idea of interior versus exterior, or at home versus a public space. And another interesting part for me that I thought was really symbolic of the collection was us doing this in a former bank space, because this is a location that has historically withheld power or access for women. I wanted them to be able to command that space.

Watching your past shows, I admire how the entire experience tells a story and adds another layer to your craft. I know you employed certain materials or textiles to also draw upon the message that the entire collection represents. Can you tell me a little bit about that — how do some of the materials used tie into the wider collection story?

I feel like the materials used can be divided into three different themes that we explored. One is this chain link, barrier motif that you will see throughout in terms of both shapes and also in the ways the fabric is folded and manipulated. The second notion is the use of fabrics that signify intimacy and privacy. And then the third — probably my favorite symbol — is the snake regenerating. When a snake regenerates, it peels off a layer of clear skin. So that's why you'll see a lot of protective animal skin elements too, like the snakeskin, vegan fur, and clear vinyl with a snake skin imprint on it. It represents shedding the old and bringing new in. So maybe shedding old ways of thought and bringing in new ones.

We talked a lot about this dichotomy between the public sphere and the private sphere. I know that in this case, autonomy is achieved by means of protest through fashion. But how do you believe that we, as women, can advocate for dissolving that dichotomy, beyond what we're wearing?

It's really about women having agency and being able to speak out on the expression that they want to display. Not just in terms of clothing, but in terms of voice and action. Even in terms of the way we're going to set up the show, that autonomy will be reflected. We're working with a choreographer, Sigrid Lauren. She's an amazing performance artist. I'm really excited to be working with her because we don't want the models to be just walking down a runway. I want each of them to have a role in this story. I love this idea of showcasing extraordinary women's stories. To be empowered doesn't mean you have to be a CEO or a 'girl boss.' It can include women as mothers or whatever profession you can think of.

I definitely agree with that. I think that we're moving toward a space where what empowerment entails is shifting. We're seeing all different iterations of that and different representations of it. In the show notes, there's a mention of how this collection calls to future generations to pass this message along so that they can continue the work that we're starting right now. How do you hope that future generations are able to rewrite this narrative and propel that message?

I think just in terms of a global perspective, I hope that women aren't held back from what they desire. There are so many lenses to examine this through. If you look at, for example, Iran, then that's a different case and they are still fighting. And that's a big part of this conversation too. I think that what matters, in the long run, is that these are things we have to push forward on. So that's what I hope to see, not in just terms of clothing, but for women to be able to have the agency to kind of move with freedom of self-expression and to have solid bodily autonomy.

While confidence is the throughline with most of your pieces, as well as self-expression in an unrestricted sense, I think this collection is really special because it's about encapsulating that in this even more concentrated way.

Exactly. Another point I wanted to make, is even with this discourse being had, we still sometimes see a lot of women tearing other women down. So I also wanted this collection to be about the unity of women standing together and supporting each other.

Do you have a look that you feel most embodies you stylistically from this collection, or a favorite look in general?

I think my favorite is going to be the opening look and then personally from what I would wear — there are a lot of looks that have some intimate touches to them that I think will be very cute. But I think that the opening look is still my favorite and the look I'd like to wear most.

What state of mind do you hope to conjure in viewers or people who are attending after they see the show and the collection?

I hope people walk away feeling hopeful. And feeling like they're able to celebrate this too. I want to emphasize that aspect of unity and make it a celebration. I think that's the part that is really special about this show. I put a lot more thought into the setup and the flow and even the styling of everything. You'll notice details in the hair, makeup, and even nails — it was all very intentional.

View the looks from the AW23 collection below.

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A curious soul in a borrowed life, she keeps moving forward, leaving behind only whispers of her escape, like a fleeting shadow in the night.