MENSWEAR LABELS TO WATCH

BRANDS

ESMOD graduate Kuan Wang relaunched his eponymous label KUANWANG in 2020 after leading the label Virus between 2015 and 2020. His exposure to design began at age 12, when he learned the technical skills of cutting and pattern making from his parents, also designers. After completing his studies, he interned at Elie Saab and EACH X OTHER in Paris. The Chinese-born, Paris-dwelling designer uses minimalist shapes as a base, reflecting in Wang’s own words, “the strictness of China meeting the freedom of France”. The A/W 21 collection features tailored pieces in a rich palette of gray, black and white hues that evoke Paris’s wintry shadows. Embroidered words on a leather jacket – or the tufted detailing on a sweatshirt – blend streetwear elements with traditional silhouettes for a look that evokes the ’80s while projecting into the future.