KB HONG’S COLLECTOR ON THE RUNWAY FOR MILAN MENSWEAR FASHION WEEK 2024

Image and text courtesy of KB HONG

“The collector from 2080” at the Alcione Theater in Piazza Vetra

Back to show at Milano Uomo, after five consecutive years present in Fashion Week KB HONG, the high-end brand of the K-BOXING group, founded in China in 1980, and handed down for three generations, was on stage Jan. 15 with a show hosted and directed by renowned director Sergio Salerni and an installation at the Alcione Theater in Piazza Vetra.

The connection between East and West represents the main concept behind the collection by the Chinese brand, as described by the founder and creative director Boming Hong and his team which includes the experienced Italian design director Massimo Foroni, as well as outstanding Chinese designers who have returned home from prestigious fashion design institutes around the world. To embody the bridge that connects the East and West, the figure of the collector is seen as the ideal protagonist of the collection, a traveler with a cultured and gentle soul, that during his trips collects emotions and objects with which he enriches his soul. A man connected to the most ancient western philosophies but also who looks ahead in the future.

Presented by Zipblind

The show’s theme, “The collector from 2080,” is related to the brand’s centennial dream while also conveying K-BOXING’s understanding of culture, history, present and future, to launch a deeper and more diverse exploration of the Chinese brand’s future and international men’s fashion trends.

The elements of Dunhuang, the scripture beast patterns from “The Classic of Mountains and Seas,” and the modern interpretation of Chinese costume design are rich in oriental romance. From the Dunhuang caisson to the traditionally auspicious Chinese motif of Baoxiang Flower to the contemporary design interpretations of traditional Chinese clothing such as pleating, overlapping collar, and Chinese style front placket, they show the desire, attachment, and exploration of the oriental aesthetics of the “collectors.”

In his journey through time, he inherited the beauty and the richness of the noble ancient Chinese culture, collecting elements that transform his tailored suit in sophisticated and modern garments. The collector is a detail oriented man, because he knows that details are what make things that might looks plain really special. In the collection, in fact, neutral tones and dark brown alternate with purple and silver touches, jet black is presented among masculine abstract animal prints that allude to the skin of the mythological figure of the Lushu. At the same time and in the same way, teal and jade green are juxtaposed to amethyst violet, creating strong and yet harmonious contrasts.

The same dynamic of unexpected encounters, the same ones that you can have on a trip, returns in the choice of the textiles: to be chosen were not only the best Italian textiles of the past, but also high-end traditional Chinese fabrics known as “soft gold,” Xiangyun Yarn. With natural and luxurious fibers, such as cachemire, camelhair, alpaca wool, wool and silk are mixed with more modern and artificial fibers to create the more technical pieces. A sophisticated mix of elements is shown in oversize fits and maxi lengths for a masculine wardrobe with a genderless and timeless allure, highlighting the beauty of the bond and mixture of different cultures.

The show was attended by actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, 32-year-old American actor who recently portrayed Alex Claremont-Diaz in Amazon Studio’s global hit Red, White & Blue Blood (2023) and also Mahmood, the Milanese singer-songwriter.