Move over celebrities and TikTok-ers: Toys are the front-row stars now. Two Pop Mart The Monsters dolls garnered all the attention ahead the show of Pronounce, the Chinese brand founded by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou in 2016.
Duly dressed in looks from the label and escorted by a handful of people constantly grooming their fur between camera clicks, the unusual guests embodied the collaboration between the collectible designer toy brand and the duo, which was part of the fall 2024 collection they presented in Milan – Pronounce’s first after showcases split between London and Shanghai.
Li and Zhou’s effort fit with the city’s tailoring-centric season so far, bringing their own roots to the conversation. The duo cited butterflies as the starting point of their creative process, in reference to “The Butterfly Dream,” a notable passage from Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi.
The shape of the insect’s wings and the trace of its fluttering trajectory inspired the fun 3D motifs created on pants with corduroy rope as well as the loopy graphics marking most of the lineup via contrasting inserts or tone-on-tone effects.
These patterns stood out on a series of well-executed sartorial coats and denim ensembles, as well as eye-catching changshan jackets and Mao suits, ultimately building cohesiveness in the East-West dialogue the designers wanted to express.
The loopy theme also informed bold fleece looks in silk and alpaca, as well as handsome knitwear, which additionally came with illustrations of the Pop Mart toys for a playful twist.
Pronounce’s deadstock fabrics from previous efforts also made it to the range, as seen in two crafty gowns that abruptly appeared on the runway,, but felt out of place in this cool collection.
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