SHUTING QIU

NEXT GENERATION

Shuting Qiu is a promising young designer, bringing an artistic sense for color, pattern and silhouette to her growing international following.

She honed her craft at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, graduating in 2017. Her graduation collection, entitled ‘She Lives in a Wonderland’, was selected to be shown within VFILES RUNWAY 10, a New York-based showcase of emerging talent organized by the cult boutique and fashion platform VFiles. The collection was inspired by a trip from Marrakesh to the Sahara Desert, with landscapes that reminded her of the film ‘Desert Flower’. The female protagonist, Waris Dirie, is strong and confident, yet gentle and romantic – just the kind of character that Shuting Qiu hopes to further empower through her collections. Translated to dress, the ‘modern romantic’ aesthetic results in daring asymmetry and experimentation in silhouettes. Silk jacquards, intricate embroidery and eclectic, bold floral prints are Qiu’s signatures that are rendered in rich, contrasting and happy colors. The looks are complete with eccentric 3D-printed headpieces that transform the models into fantastical, futuristic creatures.

In 2019, Qiu’s strong vision brought her to compete in the first-ever BoF China Prize, where the judges included the likes of Uma Wang, Julie Gilhart and Renzo Rosso. This year she’s also had a runway show in Mumbai, India. Her newest collection was inspired by India and Virginia Woolf, offering another unfamiliar yet harmonious assemblage of shapes, colors and patterns.