I’ve been lucky enough to live some time abroad, specifically six months in Hong Kong back in 2009. At that time one of my favourite spots in town was the neighborhood called Sham Shui Po: basically, a huge permanent fabric and accessories fair that enlighten the eyes of every designer I know who had the chance to browse streets and streets packed with free fabric samples, button shops, every kind of embellishments in ceiling high piles. I remember I went there with an empty trolley and came back home with the trolley full of fabrics picked among thousands, just to make something in the future. A couple of those I still remember were beautiful samples of a heavy cotton toile, batik printed with a geometrical blue and white pattern. I thought they looked like bone china motifs, and chose some different shades and patterns to keep for myself.

I immediately thought about those fabrics when I saw the London College BA graduation collection of Kathy Lam, Crystalline Blue, and suddenly thought: that is what I wish I had done with those instead of forgetting them in a drawer!

Anyway. Kathy’s collection starts from historical Chinese blue and white porcelain wares, translating them in boxy and oversize shapes that are the key silhouette for the collection and recall both Chinese traditional clothing and contemporary uniforms, together with hard pressed pleats. Then, photocopic prints are the true highlight, tones of light to dark blues to create shadows on garments, to bold out the details.

I just love it and also the way it was styled, with spots of blue and white paint as makeup for the models.

Ariko