Hu is a New York based designer, whose work is heavily influenced by her education and understanding of human psychology and emotion. Her ready-to-wear unisex collections are constructed to support the wearer and surrounding environment both mentally and physically. She has a different approach to her exploration of structure, texture and silhouette, which proves the pieces to not just be garments, but also works of art. All the pieces have a background story, paired with a specific soundtrack, inviting the audience to explore and interact with them using all their senses.

The AW19 collection – ‘Lucid Dream’ is inspired by the subconscious and our brainwave patterns. Hu took research into her own hands by exploring dreams, resulting in every individual piece being paired with a personal dream. The backstories are accompanied by a continuation of neutral, earthy colours utilised to relax the audience. The collection features a repetition of shredded material and texture, sculptured into swirls and lines to create an interesting surface appearance to the relaxed pieces. Lucid Dream encompasses mainly oversized knitwear and outer garments. The intensity of texture and raised surfaces on the garments means there is no need for extra inclusion of structure within the pieces. That being said, the collection overall is slightly lack-lustre. Although the eye-catching textiles were beautifully done and highly unique, I feel that the pairing of earthy tones and the oversized fit was not enough to hold the collection as a whole and create something ground-breaking. I do appreciate the amount of detailing on the surfaces, and the shredded textures create a very modern feel, which is refreshing to see in a ready to wear brand.

I must applaud Hu’s ability to fulfil her psychological vision. The softer colour palette makes me increasingly intrigued by how the garments help the consumer interact with the clothing rather than just wear and appreciate the aesthetic of it.

Words By Ava Frances J

Explore Bowen Hu;

https://www.bowenhudesign.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bowenhudesign

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