Yang Li

The rebellious yet fashion-conscious aesthetic of skate, punk, and basketball culture first shaped Yang Li's interest in fashion. After graduating from Central Saint Martins and interning under Raf Simons, the Beijing-born, London-based designer launched his inaugural womenswear collection for Spring/Summer 2012. Reinvigorating utilitarian urban staples with altered proportions and clean, minimal tailoring, Li channels a spirit of understated rebellion against the status quo. Unquestionably one of contemporary fashion’s most compelling figures, Li channels a singular outsider-then-insider perspective on Western subcultures and high fashion design language. His label’s pieces emanate a sense of spontaneity and indelibly cosmopolitan sophistication. Bonded fabrics, luxurious materials, and undone finishes appear as signatures. Throughly unconventional, with a seldom seen global pedigree, Li stands at the absolute forefront of the coming renaissance of Chinese fashion.