At the end of the show, when Kim and Donatella appeared together in the center of the stage, we will be surprised to find that although the two people choose to release separately, there seems to be no obvious distinction between the styles, which confirms the mutual respect and mutual understanding of the two sides in the creation of each other.
It was rumored that Donatella wanted to hire Kim Jones in 2017, and during this collaboration, she joked to Kim, "If you want to finish this collection, you can stay at Versace."
Zhang Dingyun's fashion path has been connected with "cooperation" from the beginning. In 2016, the then-fashion design major at Central Saint Martins became part of Kanye West's Yeezy team, co-designing the Yeezy 700 Wave Runner line of sneakers.
After his graduation show at Central Saint Martins, Vogue fashion critic Sarah Mower described his work as "Explosively".
The futuristic giant silhouette and fluffy texture created by hot glue technology are integrated with the emphasis on functionality, while the bright colors and layers of wrapped wear are also quite childlike.
As expected, this talent for down clothing design was recognized by Moncler, so that Zhang Dingyun received the invitation of brand cooperation in the second year of the establishment of his personal brand, and became the only Chinese designer of "Moncler Genius" this season.
"I wanted to use this opportunity to build a narrative around this world-renowned brand. It is not only a good opportunity to show one's work but also a way of thinking and world view. To convey creative inspiration while showing connections between things in the world in ways that people might never have thought about."
The "narrative" in Zhang Dingyu's words is reflected in the underwater world he envisions for this collaboration, drawing abundant creativity from the organic forms of Marine invertebrates, from ice fishing tents, inflatable pools, to the way inflatable vests are suspended in the aquatic environment, and the vicissitudes of underwater sculptures in the integration and symbionation of Marine organisms such as corals, which become his design leads.
Starting from the imagination of the deep sea environment, these abstract prints and layered hollow blocks of biological colors are decorated on coats, padded vests and cropped jackets, with exaggerated padded masks, cycling shorts and leggings, just like to construct a pair of protective equipment for the extreme underwater life.
"The combination of human activity in this extreme environment and different art forms is one of my ways of designing. We can create new experiences by distorting our body forms -- like the Ernesto Neto sculpture."
Zhang Dingyun explained that for Moncler, the glory that once reached the top of the Snow mountain with excellent protection functions has been doomed to need continuous innovation, how to extend the brand's characteristic advantages in the new era, and the younger generation of designers to open up new areas - such as the underwater theme, to refresh people's cognition of Moncler. Maybe that's the real purpose.
From Alexander Wang, Yoon Ahn, and Mary Katrantzou to this year's Charaf Tajer, Bvlgari's annual collaborative project "Serpenti Through the Eyes of" has developed a unique perspective, Through the selection of the younger generation of designers with personal style, re-interpretation of the Serpenti series of bags, to achieve the modernization of the classic elements of the brand.
"I wanted to bring the Serpenti back to a modern perspective again in a modern way and to play with its aesthetic character." Charaf Tajer explains.
Tajer's name may seem unfamiliar to many, but his brand Casablanca, which he founded in 2018, has achieved remarkable success, with the Paris-born Moroccan fashion designer rediscovering patterns that seem full of history by exploring the marriage of nature and architecture.
Tajer is also aware of the similarities between himself and Bvlgari: "The deep incline of nature and architecture is evident in both brands. The fact that Bvlgari was practicing them over a hundred years before I was born is a testament to their immutability."
To this end, Tajer brings the timeless Serpenti symbol to two familiar areas: the tennis court and ancient Roman architecture.
The first Apres Tennis collection was inspired by the classic tennis bag, with a vibrant white and green color scheme that evoks the playing field and logo lines, and Tajer's unexpected wooden handle, which is the first time the historic jeweller has used wood in a handbag.
"No one has ever associated Bulgari with tennis, and I think it's really modern, neither challenging the brand's norms nor breaking with the past."
The Mosaic Story series, inspired by the mosaics on ancient Roman buildings, flexibly uses the tile patterns of many villas and landmark buildings in Rome, where the brand originated, to apply classical and gentle colors.
Bvlgari's "Serpenti Through the Eyes of" series cooperation project proves that working with young designers to update brand classics is not the same as completely overturning the history of the brand, as Charaf Tajer gives the answer: "In many partnerships around the world, it is the combination of skills, products and values that leads to success."
This may also be the common symbol and scale of all successful cooperation series at present.
