Yuhan Wang, Kill Bill, and Women’s Resilience
Motorcycle clothes made out of lace. Fanny packs strapped over panties. Women in lingerie carrying katana swords. These dichotomies, just a few examples of the many that were present in Yuhan Wang’s latest collection, presented at London Fashion week on Sunday, capture perfectly what the collection was all about; femininity, resilience, and Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill.
Photo: Danielle Oberrauch via Vogue
There were nods to Tarantino’s film throughout the collection, from the first piece, which was a clear ode to Uma Thurman’s iconic yellow jumpsuit, to more subtle references, like a pattern printed on silk that wove Gogo Yubari’s chains together with ribbons.
Photo: Danielle Oberrauch via Vogue
The combination of delicacy with danger was at the core of Wang’s newest collection, seen in every look. This combination can be a difficult one to achieve, depending on the goal. Oftentimes, delicate, feminine lingerie is paired with danger in a way that magnifies sexuality; the sexy female spy who pulls a gun out of her garter a.k.a Charlie’s Angels.
Wang, however, successfully steered away from this trope and reclaimed the Dangerous Woman as something far more personal. The essence of the collection was about female strength, resilience, maybe even rage.
Sure, the pieces are lace, sheer, and there are even pieces of lingerie as well as mini skirts and bra tops. But they are not being worn for the male gaze. Pieces are torn and haphazardly (yet very carefully) put back together, tied together with knots or sewn in rough seams. The hair of each model was intricately done, but still tangled and messy.
And it wasn’t all sexy, either. There were elements embroidered with flowers, or patterned with drawings of cats (Wang’s own). There were looks made from tweed, that stereotypically stuffy material. To pair all these elements, for which women are often mocked and scorned, with lace and lingerie is a triumphant validation of feminine taste. A woman does not need to be wearing red lace to be strong, or angry, or to be resilient. She is also allowed to wear cutesy patterns, or to love florals, or to wear tweed dresses and blazers.
These are women scorned and cast aside. They are reclaiming their femininity, and their strength, and they are dangerous. And much like The Bride in Kill Bill, they look beautiful doing so.
Photo: Danielle Oberrauch via Vogue