Worn by SZA and Dua Lipa, Chinese-American designer Kim Shui says she’s challenging Western society’s ‘narrow perceptions of what it means to be Chinese’
- Mixing Western sentiments and Eastern components, Kim Shui doesn’t hold back with her unapologetically feminine and daringly maximalist looks
- She says that growing up as a minority in Italy where nobody looked like her taught her to truly embrace the beauty of her Chinese heritage
Worn by the likes of Bella Hadid, Kiko Mizuhara, Blackpink’s Lisa, Dua Lipa and SZA, there’s something about the New York-based womenswear label Kim Shui that makes it stand out.
Whether it is the unapologetically feminine and daringly maximalist looks, or the sultry silhouettes with East Asian influences, one thing’s for certain – its founder and creative director’s multicultural background has given her a certain je ne sais quoi unlike anything else in the fashion world.
During February’s New York Fashion Week, Kim Shui’s autumn/winter 2023 runway show featured alluring yet striking gems of diverse materials, such as a beige vegan snakeskin jacket with wine-red faux fur trimmings, and a pair of royal blue lace-up trousers in bamboo print, styled with a blue hooded fur and snakeskin jacket.
Alongside were different styles of cut-out slip dresses and see-through lace jumpsuits in brown and pink.
Born in the US and raised in Italy by a mother from China’s capital Beijing and a father from China’s Sichuan province, Kim Shui cites her upbringing as the reason she enjoys mixing and collaging different elements.
“My dad came to the US with no more than a suitcase and 100 dollars in his pocket to study economics on a PhD scholarship at [the North Carolina State University],” she says from her New York City studio.
