Hasta La Ideas

Mongolian sartorialists and military simplicity in an avant-garde collection

Decoster Concept is a new design project created by Ziggy Chen (Chinese: Chen Xiang), a well-known fashion designer from Shanghai and founder of Decoster. Decoster Concept is a high level, conceptual label launched in the second half of 2011. The creative research behind the project, the attentive selection of fabrics and the limited number of pieces for each garment make Decoster Concept one of the most exclusive brands in China.

In a new, dark, warehouse-like space in Beijing’s North Village, contemporary minimalism is mixed with different sources of inspiration: Inner-Mongolia’s desolate, windy grasslands and sartorial culture meet the austerity of military uniforms. Monks, herders, soldiers—all icons of a strict simplicity that breaks the often baroque standards of commonplace Chinese style. Colors disappear and give way to a game of light and darkness that recalls the concept of taoist duality and interdependency.

At the same time, in the lines and carefree look of the garments lies the concept of traveling, wandering to remote lands and the inspiring power of vast empty places. This trend to simplicity and a specific inclination to fine craftsmanship seems to be the key elements of what could be the future of Chinese style, a style with ancient roots that has been covered by a century of turmoil and by decades of frenzied development.

See more of Decoster Concept in their SS12 Collection runway show.

Decoster Concept

224/2F No.6 Building

123 Nong, Xingye Rd

Luwan District (xintiandi), Shanghai

and

NLG-01, 02, North Village

No.11 Sanlitun Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing