SHUTING QIU Spring/Summer 2020 Collection 

I’m rooted, but I flow.
 
If I were not a designer, my dream would be to be a writer. My way of expression has gradually changed from words to rely on visuals to deliver emotion. I worship Virginia Woolf; her persona is a constant inspiration, and this collection rends her homage.

 
The visual inspiration came from my trip to Mumbai earlier this year: rich colors of India and the textures of beaded embroidery. Referencing English style, I combined masculine tartan fabrics with rich floral prints, most of which I sourced from a mill that creates 100% recycled fabrics realized in polyester made from plastic water bottles. I combined tailoring with colorful beaded embroidery, most of which were recycled beads each coming with their own story. Through my collection, I wanted to convey an ethos that Virginia Woolf would have put forth, and it came about in the way I executed my collection with a conscious awareness of sustainability and caring for the environmental impact of fashion, by using recycled materials to create luxury.
 
Through my collection, I tell the story of a free, heroic, romantic and neurotic ‘writer’.
 
Shuting Qiu