【The Angel Falls to Feel – Chapter 1】
Louis Shengtao Chen presents the 2026 Pre-Spring Collection, "The Angel Falls to Feel – Chapter 1," unveiling an exquisitely myth-inspired prologue. Rooted in fabric and form, the designer breaks free from narrative constraints, orchestrating a chromatic evolution from shadow to radiance. This season unfolds within the narrative setting of "The Box," where the glimmer of pearls drifts across organza, three-dimensional floral motifs bloom amid pleats, and a sartorial language emerges—blending warm refuge with surreal poetry.
Emerging from the confines of the past "box," shifting emotions reshape the creative aura. Louis reflects: "The ambiguous melancholy of the past has been replaced by a newfound boldness and clarity, grounding the designs in the essence of garment-making." The Pre-Spring series becomes a vessel for exploring "autonomy"—a taffeta gown transforms into an everyday bustier through sculpted folds, embodying the dialogue between vintage culture and contemporary wardrobes. At its core lies the subtle revolution of textile craftsmanship and silhouette innovation.
The intangible "box," once a symbol of constraints, now transforms into a "half-open pink sugar-coated shell"—overflowing with the warmth of creative sanctuary. "It is no longer a cage that traps me, but a tender refuge I can return to at any moment," Louis reflects. The lingering ghost from the SS2022 collection leaps into this new chapter, its velvet ears trembling as it awakens the fading dawn silhouette of a childhood windowsill rabbit—now tamed into a symbol of innocence and eeriness, balancing an ambiguous aura amidst radiant light.
When a maiden drapes herself in silk entwined with pearls, her shadow gains weight—Japanese high-density gauze carries shifting pearl-laced darkness, while black tulle spills like ink over the curves of the body. "This is an exploration of light and shadow," Louis explains. "Like the organza silhouette enveloping a robe-style coat, the body becomes a flowing canvas for shadows, and pearls whisper as ambiguous, hazy murmurs."
"This is the first time I’ve immersed myself in the styling of a pre-spring collection, translating my instinctive wardrobe preferences directly into pairings. Texture, color, and emotion are blended with a lighter touch—no excessive embellishment."
"In limited time, refining craftsmanship is more precious than straining for fleeting inspiration." In the July morning light, this pre-spring collection—born from the autonomy of craft—finally cracks open a half-ajar box. Beyond it lies the path of light; within, the eternal homeland.