This quote was something that Sir David Tang, founder of the label Shanghai Tang, was driven by. When he founded his label in 1994, he was aiming for far more than just fashion. He was widely regarded as a “cultural provocateur,” whose mission it was to liberate Chinese tailoring from the niche of folklore costume, where it had long been confined, and elevate it onto the international runways of modern luxury fashion.

Interestingly, the term “Tangzhuang” (the Tang garment) is not a direct relic of the ancient Tang Dynasty. Instead, its roots lie within the diaspora. First documented in 1890 in a Dutch-Chinese textbook, the term was coined by overseas Chinese who referred to themselves as “People of Tang,” an homage to China’s golden age. In foreign lands, this clothing served as a symbol of belonging, being functional, simple, and deeply rooted in the identity of Chinatowns. David Tang took this cultural foundation and transformed the traditional Magua, the Manchu riding jacket, into an exclusive statement piece. Structurally, the jacket retains its hallmark straight cut and clean, unfussy lines. However, its true distinction lies in the heritage of flat-cutting. Unlike Western tailoring, which uses darts and padding to sculpt a three-dimensional form, the Tang jacket is often crafted from a continuous piece of fabric. This results in a minimalist, fluid silhouette that avoids shoulder padding or waist suppression, prioritizing a natural drape and a boxy, cropped proportion that allows for effortless ease of movement.

Its defining features, including the stand-up Mandarin collar and the asymmetrical front closure, are anchored by the Pankou, or hand-knotted silk frog buttons. These are not merely decorative but highly symbolic, requiring hours of meticulous handwork to loop silk cord into precise shapes like flowers or geometric knots. In many iterations, the jacket is cut from rich silk brocades or satin weaves, often featuring subtle jacquard patterns such as Xiangyun, the auspicious clouds, or longevity motifs that only reveal their full depth in movement and light. Shanghai Tang elevated these elements through an almost cinematic use of color and contrast. Traditional blacks and deep indigos were reimagined alongside lacquer red, imperial yellow, jade green, and electric fuchsia. Interiors became just as important as exteriors, where vibrant linings, contrasting piping, and reversible constructions turned the jacket into a playful yet precise object of design. The weight of the fabric, the sheen of the silk, and the tactility of the hand-knotted closures all contribute to a sensory experience that goes beyond mere appearance.

Before Shanghai Tang, Far Eastern aesthetics in the West were often filtered through a romanticized, exoticist lens, with designers borrowing surface elements detached from their meaning. Shanghai Tang, however, reclaimed the narrative, grounding the garment in its cultural lineage while recontextualizing it for a global audience. The Tang jacket became a manifesto of cultural self-confidence, combining classic features with an urban sensibility that made the piece feel equally at home in Hong Kong, New York, or Paris. The jacket’s global ascent was propelled by the zeitgeist of the 1990s. While screenwriter and film producer Wong Kar-wai established a new, atmospheric visual language for the East with films like In the Mood for Love, Sir David Tang secured visibility through a savvy social strategy. He gifted his jackets to friends and style icons across the globe. Suddenly, Gong Li was seen wearing them at international film festivals, and supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss made them a staple of their wardrobe. No longer just a piece of clothing, the jacket acted as a bridge between cultures.

Today, more than three decades after its debut, the Tang jacket has solidified its status as a design icon. Shanghai Tang remains at the forefront of this evolution, merging sustainable materials with the original aesthetic. Modern updates, such as lighter technical silks, tonal embroidery, or even metal reinterpretations of the traditional Pankou button, ensure the design remains relevant in the 21st century. What Sir David Tang achieved is a true masterstroke of taste, creating a jacket that proves sophistication lies not merely in preserving history, but in boldly reinventing it for the future with precision, wit, and a distinct sense of cultural pride.

In the quiet streets of Paris’ 7th arrondissement, Lisa Mimoun welcomes me in her atelier, an intimate space where garments are not simply presented, but examined, turned inside out, and understood. Last year, Mimoun had also opened a second pop-up location at the Sofitel at Place de la Concorde, yet the spirit of her work remains deliberately resistant to scale. Here, fashion unfolds at human pace.

Maison Emilie Marcelle evokes the vocabulary of Parisian couture with a distinctly contemporary awareness. Among only a limited number of brands, she has received the “Fabriqué à Paris” label, an ultimate commitment to craft and quality. The silhouettesof her pieces recall the clarity of the 1950s and 1960s – A-lines, architectural restraint, precision—yet the intention is unmistakably modern: clothing conceived to accompany women through real lives, real responsibilities, real power. These are garments that do not demand attention, but quietly reinforce presence. Elegance, in Mimoun’s world, is not decorative. It is structural, emotional, and deeply political in the most soft and beautiful way.

At the core of the maison lies a conviction rarely articulated so clearly today: that comfort is not the opposite of sophistication, and that female empowerment begins with respecting the body. Maison Emilie Marcelle is not about dressing women for an image, but for a life. In an industry still struggling to reconcile power with femininity, Lisa Mimoun proposes something quietly radical: clothing that respects the body, honours time, and reinforces the strength women already possess.

RINA SAWAYAMA EMBRACES SPRING FOOTWEAR IN NEW SS26 CAMPAIGN

April, 9th 2026 UGGs rings in the spring season with a new sandal offering, bringing ye signature feel into the warmer weather. Global musician and artist return for the Spring 2026 campaign, perfectly capturing the bold, dynamic aesthetic of the silhouettes with the brand’s iconic heritage of comfort, premium materials, design innovation and style.

The newly released campaign features a collection of sandals and clogs that reimagine the silhouettes consumers know and love, this time with contrasting textures, colors, style, and energy. Pulling inspiration from the brand’s warm-weather icon, the GoldenGlow  sandal, the GoldenGlow  Toggle has a lace-up pull able to be cinched for an ideal fit. A similar aesthetic but with more coverage, the GoldenGlow Canvas Clog, includes a molded rubber toe and outsole, complete with a breathable canvas upper and anti-odor sockliner. Rounding out the sandal offering, the GoldenGaze Toe Post, has the comfort of the Goldenstar with a sleek silhouette for easy wear.

The styles are available now at UGG.com, UGG® stores, and select wholesale retailers nationwide.

NEW SINGLE: NIA ARCHIVES  “DANGER”

Nia Archives is back catapulting us straight into her unmistakable jungle universe: with her new single “Danger,” she kicks off an exciting new chapter. The flirtatious track acts as a kind of hedonistic manifesto and unfolds like a playful rhyme: here, “Danger” becomes an acronym celebrating personal freedom, self-confidence, and love. Carried by genre-bending alt-jungle beats, the song blends raw energy with a new, intimate honesty.

The release is accompanied by a striking video directed by Claryn Chong, in which Nia confidently celebrates her sexuality and the female gaze, dancing in front of a mirror, full of confidence and carried by the butterflies of being in love. It’s a powerful snapshot between girlhood and womanhood, and at the same time an expression of her artistic self-discovery.

About the track, she says:

“It’s definitely an X-rated tune, I really pushed that side – I’ve never even sworn in my music. But it’s a part of love…or of lust… that people get a bit scared to talk about. Being in your mid-20s, you’re figuring out who you are, exploring your sexuality… I think people kind of get stuck in girlhood, but really and truly, I’m 26 and I feel like I’m entering womanhood.”

MARINA ABRAMOVIC: BALKAN EROTIC EPIC. THE EXHIBITON 

One of the most influential performance artists of all time, Marina Abramović presents Balkan Erotic Epic. The Exhibition at Gropius Bau in spring 2026. The show traces her ongoing engagement with ritual, eroticism, death and the body as a site of political resistance.

Women beat their chests and massage their breasts in lamentation, while a living naked body lies entwined with a skeleton: drawing on the folklore of Abramović’s native Balkans, the exhibition weaves together filmic and sculptural installations with live performance to explore eroticism as an offering that binds life and death, the self and the cosmos. It highlights the artist’s performances not merely as acts of personal endurance, but as imagined rituals that reposition the erotic body as carrier of spiritual, political and ecological meaning.

Celebrating their 75th birthday, the Berliner Festspiele unfold Balkan Erotic Epic in two parts: following the exhibition at Gropius Bau, Balkan Erotic Epic.
The Stage Version, a new multi-hour theatre production, will open the Performing Arts Season in the Haus der Berliner Festspiele in October 2026.

On view at Gropius Bau from 15th. April- 23th. August.

TEN C – FRÜHLING-SOMMER-KOLLEKTION 2026

The Ten c S/S 2026 collection, designed by Alessandro Pungetti, stands out for the strong contrast between materials and finishes, combined with a significant evolution in design. The brand’s hallmark combination of technological innovation and minimalist, functional aesthetics generates a balance between technology and comfort, for a contemporary urban look.

The new collection blends colours and textures, perfectly balancing the robustness of metal surfaces with the light, lively essence of summer. Metallic touches, in both garments and trims, produce a pleasing contrast between the warm shades of copper and the cold hues of steel. The perfectly balanced colour palette plays with an industrial aesthetic.

Ten C is part of the Veneto based FGF INDUSTRY SPA GROUP, headed by Enzo FuscoThe brand, which first rose to prominence for its luxury no-logo outerwear made with the iconic patented fabric Original Japanese Jersey, has been working over the past few seasons on the challenge of developing a total look.

VAGABOND V NECK BALLERINAS

The comeback that ballerinas have made in recent years may not have been expected, but the trend is definitely here to stay. As soon as the sun comes out, you see them everywhere, in all kinds of shapes and colors. Yet the idea of the ballerina is far from fully explored and Vagabond proves this with the Aleya silhouette.

With Aleya, Vagabond has rethought the rules of the ballerina, creating something that truly feels like design. Design, whether in fashion or elsewhere, captures our attention especially when rules are broken and redefined. Aleya does exactly that, through an innovative yet natural cut.

The shoe’s deep V-neck opening visually elongates the leg, which, combined with the wide toe shape, creates an almost sculptural effect, giving the shoe a timeless appearance. Made from high quality suede, Aleya is also materially designed to last. A shoe that stands out from the crowd through its intentional and distinctive design.

THE ATTICO S/S 26 COLLECTION 

As Festival Season approaches, The Attico unveils a curated selection from the SS26 collection perfect for live music and open-air events.

From Robin boots, ideal for navigating the mud of Glastonbury, to Floor 01 sneaker ballerinas to support all-night dancing, The Attico balances practicality with an elevated style. Sweatshirts and denim offer the perfect combination for cool desert evenings at Coachella, while party dresses are conceived for standout looks at DJ sets, completing a wardrobe that transitions seamlessly from day to night.

ATELIER MATERI – TONKA KAMURU 

Tonka Kamuru unfolds as a gourmand, sensual composition that celebrates the tonka bean in all its depth and warmth. The fragrance by Atelier Materi is a tribute to this precious raw material.

Tonka Kumaru opens with almond-like notes of tonka, enlivened by the freshness of bergamot and the spicy sharpness of cardamom. At its heart, roasted barley and hay absolute intensify the dry, warm nuances of tonka, while cedar leaves add structure, depth, and texture to the composition.

In the base, the roasted tonka bean reveals its full richness; refined by raw vanilla from Madagascar, its gourmand, milky facets come clearly to the fore. Combined with amber and musk, the fragrance gains intensity, sensuality, and a long-lasting, enveloping warmth.

Tonka Kumaru is a homage to an exceptional raw material. Every note is designed to reveal and emphasize the full richness and complexity of the tonka bean.

Tonka Kumaru will be available from May 4, 2026,  in selected perfumeries and online shops.