Big Auntie Energy
Within the developing regions of China, you will find an army of unmistakeable yet unlikely fashionistas: Chinese aunties.
These spirited, middle-aged women might be found running your local convenience store, taking care of grandchildren at the playground, or pulling off coordinated dance moves together in the city square. Yet no matter the activity, you can always expect them to be flaunting daring prints and flamboyant colors with the utmost confidence.
Using structural stitching and special tailoring techniques, Beijing-based fashion label Marrknull (stylized as MARRKNULL) reinterpret these muses into collections that make social commentary about China’s rapid development — and the people, young and old, that navigate it on a daily basis.
The VFiles Runway 10-winning brand is the brainchild of designers Tim Shi and Wei Wang. Shi was born in Shandong and studied architecture in Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, while Hunan province-born Wang pursued knitwear design at Institute of Fashion Technology also in Beijing. The two met by chance and bonded over a common desire to make clothing that reflected a generation that came of age in the shadow of China’s vast and rapid modernization.
Hit Read More for how MARRKNULL highlights Chinese migrant workers in its AW20 collection.