MELISSA BUI AW15: IRIDESCENT NIGHTS

By earthtoiris | November 16, 2015 0 Comments

HONG KONG | Life is full of coincidences. I took the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Hong Kong Central to go meeting rising designer Melissa Bui at her atelier. During the relaxing ride, I was staring at the magnificent skyline while thinking how lucky I felt of being able to enjoy that view. And yet, as I start chatting with Melissa Bui, all of the sudden  she tells me that it was this exact same awe feeling while taking a ride on the Star Ferry what brought her to create an entire collection inspired by Hong Kong's skyline at night. "I was thinking wow this is amazing. I don't think I'll ever be sick of this view. You never realize how beautiful it is.  I can't be happier of being able to see this view", she says. And so Melissa Bui's AW 2015 collection is all black with bits colors, imitating the iridescent lightning of Hong Kong's skyscrapers. The Jubilee Skirt is one of her favorite pieces, inspired by the changing colours of the lights of  The Centre building. "I love very feminine pieces. I love what the women wore in the 50s with huge skirts and detailed embroidery and the whole golden age of couture", Melissa Bui points out. Accordingly she tries to bring a bit of the magic of the 50s into modern day life. Her designs are playful, yet elegant and, of course, extremely feminine without being too girly. Her commitment to hand embroidery, high-quality fabrics and structured tailoring bring a purpose to each of her pieces of clothing. "Fashion is art; and every artist is trying to tell a story. Every season I'm trying to tell my  story of how I've been feeling in the last 6 months. I get inspirations from very random occasions. It's  a way of telling my life story". She also likes to add whimsical touches to her collections by bringing a bit of a fairy tale into women's everyday life. In sum, Melissa Bui's collections is just a reflection of who she is as a designer, as a person. Her passion, her dreams, and for her latest AW15 Iridescent Nights collection, her city, Hong Kong. Melissa Bui launched her own label in November 2013. Her designs are available on their online shop. Photos courtesy of Melissa Bui.