ONCE MORE WITH FEELING
WITH A BIG REEBOK COLLABORATION LAUNCHING THIS AUTUMN, RISING-STAR MENSWEAR DESIGNER XIMON LEE TALKS TO JING ZHANG ABOUT CONTEMPORARY IDENTITIES, RECONNECTING WITH NATURE AND FASHION AS EXPERIENCE
Having lived in all these places, and at the same time constantly travelling around the world, one topic I always think about and explore in my collections is ‘identity’,” says Hong Kong-born, Berlin-based menswear designer Ximon Lee, who at the age of 29 has already lived on three continents. By studying identity and how it manifests, “one can see a clearer view of humanity, of social matters and ourselves”, he says.
The question of identity – both personal and cultural – is at the forefront of inspiration for many young designers in today’s globalised and peripatetic fashion industry. A generation of tech-savvy, smartphone-addicted consumers gives a further twist to the contemporary themes that designers such as Lee are exploring.
His take has obviously hit a sweet spot in the industry. Aged just 29, Lee and his label Ximonlee has already done a global collaboration of sneaker designs with Reebok, launching this October; he’s also shown at coveted fashion-week slots in
New York and Paris. In 2015, the young designer was shortlisted for the LVMH Prize and went on to win the H&M annual designer prize, which resulted in a commercial capsule with the Swedish high-street giant. Late last year, when we met in China, the designer was hosting a spree of events and crowded shows at Shanghai Fashion Week for his spring/summer 2020 Reconscious collection.
Lee explains that the collection explored modern “self-consciousness” and how we “present ourselves to the world, while increasingly being monitored via technology”. There was a technical futurism so popular with young generational menswear, but also a curious sensuality to the clothes. Because of the pandemic, and many real-world fashion shows stalling for the moment, young labels like Lee’s have had to get creative – but for the coming autumn/winter season he decided to pause his own collection to re-focus. Taking two months off, Lee sorted out his archives and organised his thoughts on moving forward.
“I think the industry will be drastically different from what was going on in preCovid times,” he says, “and as a small brand we have to come up with a good strategy.”
“I’m always inspired by people who embody multiple identities and viewpoints”