September 11, 2017
by Mayte Allende
Don’t be misled by the simplicity of Yeohlee Teng’s aesthetic — there is a lot more than meets the eye here. Teng is an intellectual, informed kind of fashion designer, who enjoys researching and philosophizing about her collections. For spring, Teng’s premise was “the state of this particular time. Who are we, what do we stand for, where are we going? With this kind of social climate where change is everywhere, one has to go back to the basics in terms of what you do, what you eat and what you wear,” she stated after her presentation. The spring lineup gave us some cues as to what her answers might be, at least regarding the latter question. For starters, there’s her predilection for natural fibers, which she explained she uses because comfort is key for her. It’s also a priority when it comes to cuts: Nothing is ever body conscious here, pieces are cut generously and away from the body. But fashion also has to have emotional and visual appeal, which Teng satisfied via her use of dual fabrics and patterns. For example, a cherry blossom jacquard back-to-front coat was half cream-based, half blue-based, while a great black Aztec jacquard jacket reversed to red. “Clothes need to be intelligent, they need to serve the wearer well at different levels. The bottom line is that clothing is ultimately about design in a human form and it needs to function,” she said.