The Modern Explorers
Review of Pronounce Spring 2027 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
In the last decade ‘Fluid Dressing’ came to represent a way of dressing unbound by the parameters of gender norms, but to take the phrase at face value it presents as a manifesto for how the wardrobe – of both sexes – is set to evolve over the next decade. If the records that have been set at this early stage of summer are anything to go by. The need to lighten up, when it comes to our wardrobe layers, will become a necessity.
Recognising this need to navigate new ways to wear the ‘modern wardrobe’ Pronounce founders Yushan Li and Jun Zhou invited us to journey with them on a voyage of discovery. After 10-years designing together the duo has never ceased to retain a sense of curiosity around how the way we dress is defined by our individual journey and sense of belonging to a time and place.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
The Lightness of Being, A Journey of Discovery, Childlike Wonder
The Tiny Voyager, was the title adopted by Jun Zhou and Yushan Li as their brand celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Looking out onto the horizon and the beginnings of a new journey ahead.
Centring travel as their means of discovery this season, the designers built a wardrobe ‘shaped by movement.’ The sheer layering of organza on organza that wowed last spring was back, with transparency defining the collection as outlined in the shows notes. And while it’s rare for a collection to so precisely anticipate the moment, Zhou and Li are presenting clothes that feel almost prescribed for a world that is rapidly heating. From continent to continent, voyages large or small will require clothing that can adapt, more often than not for longer, hotter summers.
There have been several designers that have toyed with the complexities of how to dress for a heatwave while maintaining a semblance of dignity in formal settings. But if going shirtless won’t allow for adhering to society’s (albeit loosened) rules around appropriate dress then the brand is delicately suggesting a way forward. Fluid dressing and wardrobe solutions that are light yet substantive were the proposal for next spring. The duo’s collection is a new way to consider the idea of breathable fabrics. When seeking out the foundation for clothes that offer a sense of freedom – while providing performance quality features – technical fabrics such as mesh or nylon typically used within sportswear are adopted. Yet here are two designers that are demonstrating that function and fashion can both be prioritised in the face of a changing climate through soft sheers and lightweight wools. Their spring silhouettes were structured yet soft, framing the body but not restricting it.
THE WRAP UP
As designers who have remained untethered to seasonal themes, instead preferring to apply Eastern philosophy to modes of contemporary dress, their approach has allowed for their brand codes to remain fluid and inclusive. Never losing the innocence of childlike wonder, their ability to explore and adapt has enabled Pronounce to never fully fit into a box.
They are navigating the industry on their own terms and inviting us all along on the ride.
