New York, September 8, 2024 – GRACE CHEN Founder and Designer Ms. Grace Chen, FIT alumnus and a prominent figure in China's haute couture scene, made a strong debut at New York Fashion Week on September 8 with the launch of her first ready-to-wear collection, titled Mother and Daughter.
The 40 carefully crafted garments, from relaxed contemporary everyday wear to evening dresses, are designed to pay tribute to the strength and elegance of women across the globe. This marks an important milestone for the brand, expanding its fashion reach beyond haute couture to a wider audience. Attendees at New York Fashion Week witnessed the seamless blend of extreme craftsmanship and effortless wear.
THE SPRING/SUMMER 2025 DEBUT OF GRACE CHEN'S READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTION IS AN ODE TO THE DIVERSITY OF THE MODERN WOMAN. The most ingenious garments are full of power and passion, expressing a complex image – from the resilience and tolerance of a mother to the free and easy confidence of a daughter, and the fusion of the two. "We are not discussing the relationship between mother and daughter, mother and daughter, which is a metaphor for the dual attributes of a woman."
Designer Grace is very good at kneading women's emotions into her own creations, exploring women's hearts through the language of fashion. "Our unique silhouette not only retouches and enhances the temperament and body shape, but also creates a strong spiritual resonance with GC Girls, both long-time and new customers. The combination of rigidity and softness, allowing women to naturally express inner strength and tenderness at the same time – this is the delicate balance that GRACE CHEN has honed over the past 15 years, making us known in the media as 'the Power Dresser of China'," said Grace Chen, founder and designer.
GRACE CHEN takes "quiet, deep and rich" as its aesthetic philosophy, and its design style is a combination of Chinese and Western, rigid and soft, and elegant. "Tranquility" is the beautiful artistic conception, subtle temperament and romantic feelings of traditional Chinese culture. "Deep" is the powerful aura, profound heritage, and sharp edge of modern Chinese beauty. "Rich" is both internal and external, full of blessings, and the unique humanistic aesthetics of the Chinese. CONFIDENCE, PRESENCE, ELEGANCE – THAT'S AT THE HEART OF GRACE CHEN'S SIGNATURE SILHOUETTE 'GC-6' SIZE SIX. It is an "oriental silhouette" concept based on the golden ratio of the Chinese figure, honed after 15 years of haute couture, gradually perfected by design and handmade in studios in Shanghai and Beijing. THE SMALL SIX IS A HALLMARK OF GRACE CHEN'S FASHION STYLE, AND IT WILL BE USED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN GC'S READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTIONS. Designer Grace started her career in United States before returning to China to launch her eponymous label, and her designs have been loved by many celebrities in China and the United States, including: Helen· Mirren, Oprah· Winfrey and Jin Yuxi, Lang Ping, Yang Lan, Liu Xiaoqing, Sun Li, Lin Chiling and many more.
THE DEBUT OF GRACE CHEN'S READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTION FEATURES A SERIES OF EYE-CATCHING PIECES, EACH EMBODYING HER SIGNATURE PRECISION AND ELEGANCE. These include the Glam Shirt (Gorgeous Shirt); Magic Suit; Power Dress; Chic Chinese (风雅新中式); Finale Trouser (Pants Terminator); and Easy Evening, these distinctive new creations – each of which embodies her philosophical reflections on the "femininity of power" of women.
Her lines are sharp and fluid, balancing structure and movement – her jackets are cut neatly and contrast with the draping of evening gowns. Easy Evening adds a touch of romance to this sophisticated collection, with flowing fabrics and chic embellishments that can be tackled from cocktail parties to grand celebrations. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE COLLECTION, INNOVATIVE TRADITIONAL CHINESE WEAVING, IS GRACE CHEN'S SIGNATURE ELEMENT, A NOD TO ANCIENT CRAFTSMANSHIP AND A MODERN INTERPRETATION.
Another iconic design is the Glam Shirt: a sophisticated and elegant design that transcends day and night thanks to form-fitting cuts and distinctive details. Paired with the graceful lines and silhouettes of the Finale Trouser, it presents a calm and powerful aura. The Magic Suit is a stunning new addition that combines precise cuts, flowing lines and elegant silhouettes to make the wearer attractive while remaining comfortable. The Power Dress continues a narrative of power with its strong silhouette and sumptuous fabrics. An unconventional fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics, her multiple sensibilities are expressed in a subtle and restrained way, resonating with the soft, romantic qualities of the collection in flowing silk, lace and velvet embellishments.
Wearing GRACE CHEN is a deeper narrative of thought through the outward clothing, and the wearer often discovers the self and feels the power in the clothes. "I make clothes, but my work is about you wearing clothes." A master of haute couture craftsmanship and Eastern and Western aesthetics, designer Grace has been forging her own unique fashion narrative.
For the designer, ready-to-wear collections are the essence of haute couture, and she wants to create wardrobe classics for a wider female demographic, rather than a fleeting fashion trend. As one of the most influential fashion events in the world, New York Fashion Week has brought together countless fashion industry professionals and media. Grace Chen, who came to New York many years ago to study, once again returned to the starting point of her career, using the Times Square show as a medium to show the charm of Chinese culture to the world in the context of globalization, so that more people can witness GRACE CHEN's exquisite design aesthetics, rich humanistic thinking, and profound fashion works that can stand the test of time.