Huishan Zhang began working on his resort collection alongside his spring line, which debuted last September. “It feels like you have more time to really refine your ideas,” the designer said about developing both collections at once. Having spoken with Zhang over multiple seasons, it’s clear he’s found his rhythm—he’s expanded his team, moved into a new East London studio, and says everything is “running smoothly.”

Fans of his work will recognize his signature style in the new collection: polished daytime pieces (some with faux-fur details) in bouclé and denim, along with an array of dresses in different shapes and textures. During a preview, he highlighted a hand-embroidered silk minidress with feather accents, another minidress in his signature wrinkle-resistant satin covered in crystal embroidery, and a flowing maxi dress with a dramatic wing-like train attached at the shoulder, crafted from a new stretch fabric.

“I want to establish a distinct design language,” he explained. “For resort, we aimed to bring our woman’s character to life.” This vision came through in the faux-leather details and darker color palette—revisiting the “elegance versus rebellion” contrast he explored last season, now expressed through 1960s-inspired shapes. As always, a muse inspired the collection’s spirit. This time, Zhang drew from Nan Kempner, who famously turned her Saint Laurent Le Smoking jacket into a dress after being refused entry to a New York restaurant for wearing pants.