LORING NEW YORK is a New York-based luxury womenswear brand, established by PARSONS MFA alumnus LONG XU. The design aesthetic of LORING offers a modern interpretation of art and handicraft by experiencing and respecting tradition and culture and is supported by the best specialty shops worldwide. After graduating from Tsinghua University, Beijing, Mr. Xu continued his fashion design studies at Parsons the New School for Design, New York, and graduated from the Fashion Design and Society master’s program in 2015. That same year, Xu’s graduation collection was shown during New York’s Fashion Week in September and was selected to be one of the final 8 for the H&M Design Award 2016.
Long Xu’s LORING NEW YORK Spring / Summer 2022 collection is centered on floral themes of artists Henri Matisse and Robert Mapplethorpe. Xu was specifically inspired by Matisse’s Cut-Outs series and felt akin to Matisse’s sojourn in Tahiti with his recent trip to China which has been a transformative experience for him both personally and creatively.
Xu approached his collection with a focus on emphasizing the artisanal aspect of the brand, connecting the technique of Tifaifai, a Polynesian style of patchwork art, and the traditional Chinese paper-cut art, to blend modern art and traditional handcraft.
In addition to Matisse’s Cut-Outs, the collection features floral embroidery patchwork influenced by the Tifaifai technique, thoughtfully placed on top of layered fabrics cut into flower layer by layer. Crocheted flowers inspired by the Chinese paper-cut art, as well as hand-drawn flowers are also featured.
Throughout the collection, one can find a suit jacket and trousers embroidered with floral patchwork in a silk-wool blend as well as a white and light blue A-line shirt dress in the same fabric and technique, a style that has proved to be a favorite amongst the LORING NEW YORK fan base. Dresses can be found in the form of a lace-like hand knitted crochet slip dress in black and navy, inspired by the Chinese paper-cut art, and hand-drawn printed silk bias dresses in a black multi-color floral print and blue and cherry.
Xu also introduced new categories in the collection, including embroidered knitwear in cream, blue and black, printed jersey bodysuits, and dresses in blue and cherry, and the black multi-color floral print. Everything feels luxurious and ultra-chic! The eye-catching creations exude a modernized version of romanticism.
