Wei Lin and Zoe Champion’s remarkable jacquard knits really need to be seen up close to be appreciated, so it was a wise move that they had a presentation. In the past, the duo have used their collections to highlight world issues such as ocean plastics and workers rights; this fall the focus was on the brand’s specialty: knitting. To counter the reductive perception that needle work is crafty or for grannies, the team, said Champion, “really liked this idea of a CEO or a big business person who also just knits in meetings.” So they chose a chi-chi office in the WSA building with Halstonesque interiors and sweeping views of lower Manhattan as a location and tried to conjure an executive vibe by having models hold clipboards and The Financial Times. This was unconvincing both in terms of the clothes, which looked whimsical rather than professional, and the staging.
More successful was the decision to base the collection on the idea of a scarf, which, explained Champion, is usually a beginner’s first project. Scarves were built in to garments using various ingenious means, and wire was added to the edge of some of them to enable the wearer to create a windswept look in any kind of weather. Patterns took inspiration from neckwear in the designer’s own collection, and the idea of winding a scarf around the body inspired a new spiral construction technique, which was particularly effective on a pair of asymmetric pants. Also excellent: the trompe l’oeil jacquards jeans.
Spring saw the brand make its runway debut and introduce knit/woven pieces. These reappeared for fall, most effectively on a puffer with knit collar and cuffs. And although Champion said PH5 isn’t “really known for wintery coziness,” there were pieces made with faux fur as well as fluffier open-stitch pieces used for layering that felt unrelated to the rest of the line up.
One of the reasons knitwear is so exciting right now is the way technology has been integrated into the field to enable processes like no-waste construction. This season PH5 showed UV reactive knits that change color in different types of light, used yarns treated with hyaluronic acid that moisturize the skin, and introduced heat tech for its first slope ready garment, a second-skin suspender bodysuit with the brand’s signature gradient. The combination of the contouring effect with comfort and warmth was functional and fantastic, with exciting potential for expansion.
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