LONDON, United Kingdom — Huishan Zhang certainly knows his clientele, many of whom were present at his presentation at The Connaught. The ornate Mayfair hotel was the perfect setting for Zhang's sophisticated offering, which this season took its cue from the 1960s — arguably the last time that couture and formalwear reigned before the rise of more youthful ready-to-wear.

The bubble-gum palette summed it up; the collection was sweet and saccharine, but without being twee. Zhang knows when to dial down embellishment and frou-frou to avoid clothes looking indulgent. One thing that perhaps doesn’t come through in the pictures is the level of work that goes into his clothes, which are exceptionally made. Onscreen, some of his fabrics and colour combinations don't resonate, but in person they are exquisite and tasteful. What Zhang would benefit from now is more thematic structure and really diving into certain techniques or ideas. It would be wonderful to see how he can link his ready-to-wear separates to his red carpet-ready gowns without the distance between the two seeming so far.