Unlike some contemporary designers, Susan Fang takes storytelling to another dimension. Her Spring/Summer 2026 Air-evolution collection serves as a guide through a fabricated world set in 5202, where she explores the future union between nature and technology. Featuring Nasus, an 11-year-old narrator, this collection “unfolds as it should, following nature's law” in which we wait for answers to manifest in the form of design. Air-evolution bridges the handmade and the artificial, underscoring the necessity of connection and emotion in the act of creation.
Central to Fang’s productions is her family. Her husband, Orelio De Jonghe — a former Dyson engineer and now head of Accessories and Footwear — uses computational skills to craft artificially rendered organic structures that appear to grow and breathe, lending the collection a plasmic vitality. He took a bow alongside Fang at the London show. Also, with the help of her mother, Fang perfected her signature air-flower technique, adding layers and volume to her sculptural forms. Like intricate 3D puzzles, Fang’s designs assemble seamlessly, following the natural growth patterns of ecosystems.
Surrounded by fern fronds in London's Barbican Conservatory, a space known for its blend of brutalism and naturalism, guests were invited to engage all five senses. The air was scented with Penhaligon's Vra Vra Vroom perfume, while live steel pan music resonated through the atrium with a soothing hum. The motto “Be present” came to life as the audience was enveloped by the surrounding energies.
Fang’s pieces seemed to float through the air, leaving a trail of awe. Their pastel hues and effortless silhouettes defied contemporary conventions, breathing life and personality into both the garments and their wearers. The fabrics themselves became interactive: prints that appeared to be vintage paintings from afar revealed a dynamic composition of letters, numbers, symbols, and Chinese characters as models drew near.
When Look 15 appeared, an audible gasp rippled through the crowd. A pleated, crystal-embellished tulle bodice cascaded to the floor, paired with cherry blossom-adorned Mary Janes - a striking testament to Fang’s pictorial imagination all in black. Throughout the collection, the juxtaposition of hand-sewn beads with 3D printing, and laser-cut flowers with hand-knitted crochet, amplified her otherworldly image. Three footwear collaborations — with Nike, Melissa, and Rockfish — added a commercial edge, opening doors to new realms of design possibilities.
In the end, the Spring/Summer 2026 Air-evolution show expanded perceptions, celebrating emotion over austerity. Judging by the entranced expressions of its audience, Fang’s intricate, multi-dimensional vision fully achieved its aim.
