Jing Daily chats with Susan Fang about what it means to be a Chinese fashion designer in 2024.
From debuting lingerie for Victoria’s Secret on the London Fashion Week runway, to announcing a collection with &OtherStories coming for April 2024, Susan Fang has had a major year already and it’s only March.
After spending her formative years bouncing between China, Canada, and the UK, the Ningbo-born, London-based designer founded her namesake brand in 2017. Since then, the Central Saint Martins graduate has become known for tiered tulle, bubble accessories, blooms, and pure romance — a distinct aesthetic that is being quickly snapped up by high-street brands wanting to elevate their offerings.
Fang’s first collaboration was with major global retailer Zara in 2022 for Chinese New Year. Propelled to global recognition, her collections have since been worn by stars like Griff, Alexa Chung, and Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts.
Here, we talk to Fang about her career journey and what it means to be a Chinese fashion designer in 2024.
Did you always know that you wanted to be a fashion designer?
“No, actually not at all. [Because] my parents were so busy working, I loved watching Disney cartoon movies and playing with Barbies. I loved drawing girls all the time. I was in my own fantasy world, making up stories, listening to story tapes.
“I wanted to be an artist but heard it was a challenging life. Then, as in my comic books the girls were always wearing different clothes on every page, someone said, ‘Oh, why don’t you be a fashion designer?’” Continue to read the full article here