The decision to put on a show for its Resort collection, and to set it against the hazy skies of China’s bustling metropolis, was made more than a year ago. Business was the draw, with the luxury market bigger than booming throughout Asia, but the city is a good fit with Ramsay-Levi’s sensibilities. A lover of Chinese cinema, she had compiled backstage dozens of stills from her favorite movies by Jia Zhangke, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Zhang Yimou, Bi Gan, and Lou Yi, as a de facto moodboard, and was beaming over the fact that one of her favorite actresses, Shu Qi, would be sitting front row.
Another film, Three Times, by Hsiao-Hsien, informed Ramsay-Levi’s decision to explore China’s rich history, drawing on its empirical eras, its Art Deco period, and its contemporary buzz. The designer’s nods to Chinese culture were small but poignant, such as the side buttons on a floral dress that evoked a qipao, and two prominent flag-red looks. There were also tiny embroideries inspired by traditional Chinese handwork.
