NEW WAVE CREATORS:
CAROLINE HU

In the aftermath of her almost-instant success, standing at the center of a whirlwind of attention from the fashion industry, Caroline Hu is doing her best to keep a clear head. It's been less than twelve months since she founded her eponymous label, and she has not only won the inaugural BoF China Prize, but was also nominated for the LVMH Prize. It's clear that beneath Caroline's quiet presence is a backbone of strength, along with a desire to show the world her innovative, couture-level dressmaking craftsmanship all wrapped up in her unique point of view on romance.

Born in Shenzhen, Caroline went abroad to pursue her studies at Central Saint Martins for her bachelor's degree. Later, she went on to complete her master's at Parsons under Shelley Fox. However, her personality is far from the kind of urban Shenzhener or New Yorker, you'd imagine. For her ideas to seed, Caroline enjoys tranquillity and peace rather than a bustling metropolis. So the mini-studio where she's currently designing and sewing her SS20 collection together with her intern is located in a serene but modern garment development park on the outskirts of Shanghai. Swans, bonsai trees and free-roaming guardian dogs all live harmoniously together in this summer camp-like area, with nothing to remind you that you're still technically within the city's metropolitan area.

It's a blazing hot Saturday afternoon in mid-July, and the air-conditioning is turned off during the weekends, but that doesn't stop Caroline from working. Each Caroline Hu dress is made entirely by hand and requires an average of seven days' work. "Since the development process takes so long, I have no time to lose before my show in London at the Serpentine Gallery this September," she says.

The designer's impressive techniques are reminiscent of painting — the way she layers fabrics, colors, and materials has been lauded as a fresh breeze by the entire industry, simply because it's a style so unique and unprecedented in any of the new-gen designers. Her very own understanding of romance, love, and aesthetics has won fans from Tim Blanks to Edison Chen.

"My dresses should be viewed at a distance," she says. "They make sense as an overall painting." Caroline actually grew up painting. Her father was a painter when she was young, and she studied oil painting with a teacher who was also a ceramic artist. Looking closely at her creative process, you can see that each piece of fabric is independently cut, twisted and re-formed before being sewn onto layers and layers, arranged into vibrant or soft palettes, and stacked up with textures going in all directions. What she does mimics the technique of how 19th-century impressionist painters used paintbrushes. It's incredibly poetic and dramatic and tells the stories of a girl's endless fantasy in a world of romantic self-expression. "I'm a very emotional person, and what I like varies greatly over time. Paintings are a big source of my inspiration, but even more importantly, I draw inspiration from emotions that derive from love."

Caroline talks passionately about her obsession with the concepts of love and romance, and the emotions that come from them. She's known her boyfriend since childhood, and have been together for over ten years. However, they spent many of these years being apart. Due to the distance between them, and their busy individual schedules, meeting once or twice per year is already a luxury; those are moments that Caroline cherishes immensely. Her persistent and almost reckless pursuit of love even transcends her dedication to her brand: "Many people have identified my designs as something from a fairy-tale romance, but that's completely wrong," she says. "I can't think of a precise word to describe it, but it's emotions pouring out of my mind. It's Caroline Hu's romance.'

With such an intricate and complicated process of craftsmanship, it certainly isn't an easy task to scale up at the beginning — the designer has to personally participate in each design's creation. But this artistry has led many people to see her as having great potential to be one of the next generation's masters of couture — not only locally, but in the international arena. Her dresses belong at the Oscars, worn by the icons and, of course, the super - rich.

But Caroline herself has a different opinion and approach. "I want to break down the borders between couture and ready-to-wear," she says. Currently, a Caroline Hu dress can be up to RMB20,000, but she's aiming to bring her couture-level craftsmanship to a level that more women can embrace and pursue. She has developed relationships with clients that order made-to-measure dresses, alongside working on products that fit a ready-to-wear price point — all while staying true to her spirit and philosophy. "Today, couture doesn't necessarily mean big-volume dresses designed for the red carpet. A white T-shirt can also be couture. I want to make garments that are not only for evening occasions but finely crafted pieces for every day." True to her word, her latest collection incorporates this high-low philosophy to evolve a white T-shirt into a sophisticated toile, silk, lace, and organza dress.

Unlike many Chinese designers today, Caroline does not have the full support of her family; her parents want her to have a stable job, get married, and have a normal life. As she puts it, "They don't want me to exhaust myself creating a brand." However, this has forced Caroline to become more powerful and independent. She's met many friends and supporters on her journey, including Julie Gilhart, who headed buying at Barneys New York and sits on the panel for the LVMH prize. "Julie saw my graduation show and immediately invited me to showcase my work in Paris afterward. She has also encouraged me to submit my work to different prizes," says Caroline. "She's been a mentor but also a close friend."

When a designer receives such a significant amount of attention at the very start of their career, it can often be a double-edged sword. Whether someone can keep a healthy mentality and make the right business and design decisions to sustain the hype is crucial to their continued success. Caroline is taking it slow. "I don't want to forcefully turn the brand into a huge business right away, but let it grow naturally at its own — and my own — pace," she says. While many have already set great plans for her in the interim, laying down a solid foundation for the brand image and focusing on building a more rounded universe of Caroline Hu is her focus for the moment.

"There's a lot of advice and noise out there telling me what to do next," she tells us. "But I'd rather listen to my own thoughts."

New York/Shanghai based designer Caroline Hu presented her AW19 collection at Labelhood Shanghai, supported by Lane Crawford this year in March. Labelhood is a Shanghai–based emerging designer incubator, and fashion retailer. It is also one of the main organizers of Shanghai Fashion Week each season, with the focus on new independent talents. In September this year, Lane Crawford will collaborate with Labelhood to open a series of Pop-Up stores across our flagships in Hong Kong SAR, Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu presenting some of the most exciting new-gen Chinese designer labels.