SHUSHU/TONG “THE NUDE”
SHUSHU/TONG “The Nude”SS24 collection has arrived at Dover Street Market and on the DSML E-SHOP. Click here to shop online.
SHUSHU/TONG are Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang – known to friends as Shushu and Tong Tong. They grew up in Chengdu, China and coincidentally went to the same high school but their friendship was cemented whilst studying their MA at London College of Fashion, and so upon graduation, they went on to form their partnership label. The impetus was simple enough. Tong Tong has been the quiet muse, inspiring their cute-but-complex aesthetic and erstwhile Shushu has been designing the clothes that he’d like to wear himself. They have now spent a decade perfecting SHUSHU/TONG’s particular lens of girlish femininity, deftly subverting sweet bows, cottagecore florals and Peter Pan collars, and lacing those saccharine elements with a hint of danger and darkness.
The SHUSHU/TONG not-a-girl, not-yet-a-woman aesthetic has gained an international cult fandom, even though SHUSHU/TONG have mainly showed collections and operate from Shanghai, China. Their enduring partnership with Dover Street Market also hits the ten-year marker, and to celebrate they’ve created an installation, inspired by their SS24 collection “The Nude”, with a room-in-a-room to represent the duality of their imaginary femme fatale, inspired by the 1967 film Belle de Jour. Peer at this female protagonist from the outside and she’s prim and proper, but on the inside, she hides an internalised sensuality, trussed up in suspenders, ruffles and mini-crini lace dresses that feature in the collection. As SHUSHU/TONG celebrate both Chinese New Year and a decade of partnership with DSM, they speak about their creative journey.
Susie Lau: Tell us about the installation you have created for Dover Street Market London?
SHUSHU/TONG: The SS24 collection is called “The Nude” and it was inspired by a Helmut Newton book and the energy of his amazing nude photographs and then we also looked at the film Belle de Jour. So, we wanted to create this Parisian home with the mood of a Greek nude sculpture inside that is very beautiful and powerful.
Given that the collection is called “The Nude” and SHUSHU/TONG has always had a specific take on sensuality, how have you specifically chosen to reveal or conceal the body?
We have used a lot of transparent organza and lace and we’ve paired that with a lot of underwear and lingerie elements. Then lace is a romantic fabric, and we wanted to contrast that with the spandex of the suspenders and the underwear with the little ruffles. It’s very much inspired by Séverine from Belle de Jour.
What does such an enduring relationship with Dover Street Market mean to you?
Dover Street Market is one of the first stores we worked with, and they have really helped us to reach out to the world as a new designer and they have very much given us a lot of credibility. It’s been an important partnership in all aspects. When we do installations like the one at DSM in London, it means we can show our creativity and seeing as we’ve never done a show in London, it’s a vital opportunity to present something beyond the clothes.
How have you evolved as designers from when you first started SHUSHU/TONG?
We don’t really think of the changes to be honest. Tong Tong was like our first customer (without paying) and it’s been organic ever since. When we go through the design process we don’t think about it too much or what the client wants. Step by step, we might have evolved but essentially the clothes are for ourselves – whether it’s Shushu or Tong Tong. There’s always girliness with some danger or power to it.
Whilst SHUSHU/TONG has some elements that are aesthetically tied to Chinese culture, how has your relationship with those elements evolved over the seasons?
As designers with a Chinese background, we aspire to incorporate Chinese elements in a spontaneous way. If we are inspired by a certain subject and if it feeds into it, then we will definitely have say a qipao inspired dress that is a carryover style.
The brand has experienced a lot of growth and recognition in recent years. How do you see the future for the brand?
We normally do not plan things very much. The most important thing is to make a better next collection and make the brand grow step by step.
SHUSHU/TONG is mainly based in Shanghai and all your shows have also been held in Shanghai – does that give you a different perspective on the industry?
Before it’s like a dream for every designer to have a show in London or Paris, but nowadays, we realise we have other ways of collaborating with talent in Europe. It’s a lot of energy to do shows and do too many things to promote yourself. Recently, we have shot our campaign images remotely like how we’ve done with Arnaud Lajeunie and Marili Andre.
Coming from Shanghai, when we come to London, it’s not a place we’re super familiar with and super connected with anymore. We’ve been in China for more than ten years now, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be outsiders. It doesn’t mean you don’t get the chance to have a place in fashion. And in a way, it’s inspiring to have this “outsider” mindset.