KadaKada, Cherry Gun Show Off New Designer Collections at Cafe Zarah

I was twenty minutes early, but a crowd had already gathered at the popular hotspot, Café Zarah. They weren’t here for a meal, though – this wasn’t a typical night. 

On Wednesday evening, five indie and local designers came together to show off their new collections to an intimate audience, the first of which was from V-shado.w. Black, grey and other solemn colors made repeat appearances in their collection, named “Contest”. 

Inspired by the concept of energy and vitality, V-shado.w designer, Veiva, sought to portray an image of a resilient and independent woman. By opting for structured and firm fabrics, the models walking in her clothes evidently seemed like self-governing individuals. 

66, a designer with Fickle Grass shootoff brand KadaKada, used patches of patterns and prints to symbolize his inner struggle to fight for his freedom of marriage. The pieces that could be easily taken apart and put together, coupled with the feministic features presented on male clothing underscored the unisex attitude of his collection. This explains the bowties in the male models’ hair and sweatshirts.

Robust belt buckles and chains also demonstrated various forms of pressure one can encounter in marriage. These designers are into some pretty serious stuff.

Chen Xing Ru, in her collection “love or die” for her Cherry Gun label, depicted a traveler’s journey into a splendid and dream-like world. Abstract prints, denim, and other elements from the 90’s grunge movement also portray the casually trendy style of her line.

Though Chen seemed to be inspired by too many subjects and the dramatic “love or die” title didn’t suit her casual outfits too well, her line was nevertheless chic and fitting for a young audience. 

See labels KadaKada, twosides, and V-shado.w at KTV (a multi-brand shop grouped by their initials) at Doufuchi Hutong, or buy KadaKada online at their Taobao shop here.

Photos: Cherry Chen