Ordinary body types on the runway

Being open to ideas

Nathan Zhang has never studied fashion design – his taste was synthesized from years directing fashion programs on TV but his second-hand designs were a success.

Zhang Da says that a good look depends largely on a designer’s willingness to change.

His studio serves a niche ignored by many other original brands: clothes that flatter “average looking.”

Many would describe a suit as either fitting or conflicting with one’s style. But style is not the same as beauty, which comes in all shapes and sizes.

“We designers need to develop products that are flexible enough to be worn by more people. I also think buyers need to be more open-minded about new styles,” Zhang Da says.

“Some of my friends always want to change their look. Once in a while they succeed, but often the result is terrible. People assume they must be fashion experts just because they have the courage and confidence to experiment.”

There is no underestimating the impact fashion has on self-identity. Nathan Zhang’s shop may sell clothes a few years out of date, but those relics offer the creative-minded endless opportunity to reinvent their look.

Zhang Da’s new collections will be available at the UCCA store. He says that unlike mall outlets, customers likely to shop at a gallery store will be much more open-minded.