Original article: https://www.vogue.it/vogue-talents/gallery/danza-e-moda-life-is-a-performance-di-terrence-zhou

 

For Terrence Zhou , a multidisciplinary artist and designer based in New York, the essential elements to describe his vision that combines dance and fashion are colors, shapes, sounds and movement. Zhou, who studied Latin American dance, believes that classical fashion instruments are too static. And she looked for new ways to make her more dynamic and to introduce her passion for dance into her outfits. This is why his latest collection is called “ Life is a Performance 3.0 ” and is the continuation of his previous two, “Life is a Performance” and “ONG-2”, and this time it also includes live performance.Made in collaboration with various artists, such as director George Miller , choreographer Matilda Sakamoto , dancers Carly Johnson and Claude Johnson , and then with Rix Chan , performance artist, composers and vocalists Katie Jenkins and Britt Hewitt , and creatives from DorDor Gallery, the presentation of the fall winter 2021 2022 collection is a performance that intertwines dance and fashion. In the collection, garments with unusual silhouettes, such as red tops in the shape of a spinning top, dresses in neon lace, and even a 3D-molded plastic mermaid tail. Zhou, who studied math and engineering before becoming a stylist, drew on her background to create these details. 

                   © Honglin Cai

 

According to the designer, the collection is a humorous representation of the ideal physique of Latin American dancers. “I really enjoyed watching the way these dancers and performers express their emotions through muscle and body movements,” said Zhou, “And I wanted those who watch the performance in my presentation to feel the emotional intensity of my creative process ". This aspect is visible in the use of geometric shapes for the wide shoulders and the very narrow waist of his creations, which visually make one think of dancers in continuous motion: the clothes become interactive.

Despite the many elements (fashion, art, music, dance) present in the performance that tells the collection, Zhou personally took care of every aspect. For example, he collaborated with photographer Honglin Cai, stylist Andree Kong and makeup artist Dani Morenoon certain color palettes that communicate his vision. He also helped direct the dancers and make suggestions in order to better illustrate the relationship between the performers and his outfits. Zhou's contribution to every aspect of the project helped him better understand the impact of his art. “I had a unique feeling, something I had never experienced before simply by designing clothes,” she said. “The garments come to life and I, in turn, felt a new life and a new inspiration within me”.