Page 62 - S/ Spring 2023

FASHION
The New Guard
Discover the new generation of designers leaving their mark on the industry.
By Ebonie Walker
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Wanze Song
Consume with intention. That’s the guiding principle that shapes the development of
Wanze Song’s pieces. The Chinese-Canadian womenswear designer started her career working globally with Canadian fashion label Beaufille, Bulgarian menswear designer Kiko Kostadinov,
and Chinese knitwear specialist Xiao Li. “I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, and I’ve always been curious to learn about the making and construction element of garments,” explains Song. Focusing on innovative pattern cutting, high quality fabric, and considered functionality, Song’s label directly opposes the fads of fast fashion. Through her clothes, she hopes to help reframe how society consumes fashion, while shifting purchasing behaviours to become more thoughtful, sustainable, and connected. Song’s brand is built on the belief that formal and casual wear can exist in cohesion, rather than as distinct codes. As she continues to explore this symmetry, she unearths a style that is both seasonless and current.
For her first collection, Song explored the intimate relationship between her, her mother, and her 8-year-old sister. Looking at the complexity
of the multiple roles she embodies at home— maintaining a sister-like relationship with her mother, and a motherly relationship with her sister—she discovered her identity through polarity: mature and immature, serious and frivolous, constrained and free. The garments she created reflected these juxtapositions by pairing well-tailored attire with playful accents. For Spring/Summer 2023, Song continues to explore the fluidity
of dualities, this time focusing on the modern individual and the balance of work and play.
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Wanze Song: photo courtesy of Wanze Song.