A favourite on the sets of stylish film and television shows, Meng’s artful printed silk loungewear is developing a cult following among those looking for robes and pyjamas that are every bit as luxurious as their day wear. The brand offers opulent new prints each season, rendered in contemporary kaftans, beach cover-ups and show stopping nightwear. “The inspiration comes mainly from fine-art, as we view the fabric as a canvas,” says Meng Zhang, who was born and bred in China but founded her brand in London in 2012.
Working mainly with silk satin, georgette and chiffon sourced from printing mills in the UK and Italy, a team of designers creates exotic, vivid prints that avoid recycling Asian clichés, to instead form a hybrid of folkloric and contemporary inspirations that reinterpret Far-Eastern design heritage for modern global consumption.
“The styling mixes many different elements inspired by travel and culture, making it quite eclectic and unique,” she explains of the artwork that sometimes references an impressionist’s palette, rich in colour and texture.
Hand-made in the UK, the elegant robes feature details like Japanese-inspired batwing sleeves, shawl collars and a variety of hemlines. Moreover, trendy details like open shoulders are being worked into the collection, taking the brand farther into the fashion realm.
That they have already built five distinct lines since their inception – ready-to-wear, loungewear, beachwear, homeware and accessories – illustrates the know-how that Zhang brought to her company. Then again her track record, which includes 20-years as product manager for Chanel, then as merchandising head for Lane Crawford and eventually as a director of the Spanish clothing giant Inditex, which owns Zara and other brands, speaks for itself. With an MBA from the Columbia Business School and the London Business School in addition to an MA from the London College of Fashion, she clearly knows what’s she’s doing and we can’t get enough it.
