SHUSHU/TONG x CHARLES & KEITH Are Shaking Up Femininity
The collection includes two patent-leather, rose garnished Mary-Jane shoe styles and two handbag styles. Lei and Jiang wanted to use the rose emblem to symbolize the softness of traditional femininity but decided to simultaneously juxtapose it with funky patent to give the pieces a sassier feel.
Given that Lei and Jiang are young designers, their collections thus far are just scratching the surface of their abilities. As both are graduates of the London College of Fashion, office wanted to sit down with the creatives to discuss how their education led them to the cutting-edge designs we see from SHUSHU/TONG now.
Continue reading for office’s interview with Lei and Jiang, where we learn more about their backgrounds, advice in “making it,” and the new capsule.
How has your time at design school informed your current designs, and specifically the designs in this latest capsule?
Design school mainly teaches you the basic techniques of creating a fashion collection. It’s those key fundamentals, applied and combined with aesthetics that are reminiscent of our childhood, which encompass the capsule’s design.
How have you used your design knowledge to carve a novel space in the realm of fashion with SHUSHU/TONG?
We are still very much in the process of learning. From our school days, to internships, and now running a brand, there have been so many touchpoints for us to learn new things. This continuous learning process allows us to grow personally, whilst giving our brand the opportunity to develop slowly but surely through exploration — and this constant curiosity is an approach we will continue to adapt in our work.
Some of your designs, especially the Mary-Jane silhouette employed in this capsule, are reminiscent of my childhood as well. As Gen Z creators, did your upbringing influence this capsule in any way?
Mary-Jane shoes are signature to the anime books we used to flip through in our childhood. It was a shoe style that frequently appeared in manga comics, and we felt it could convey the girly spirit of SHUSHU/TONG very well. It seemed like the perfect fit as the main product of this collaborative capsule — especially since the design is iconic to CHARLES & KEITH as well.
What advice would you give to others out there who dream of pursuing their own fashion brands?
First of all, you must believe in yourself. At the same time, be willing to roll up your sleeves and put in the hard work, taking the work process step by step — there are no shortcuts in life!
The capsule is available online and photos from the collab can be viewed below.
