Shan Huq is subverting wardrobe basics with subtle sexuality

Taking the aesthetics of banality and translating them into catwalk-ready pieces comes naturally to self-taught designer Shan Huq, whose recent debut presentation caught the eye of the fashion industry. Gathered in a church, Huq’s gang of models donned reworked sportswear and basics embroidered with poetry, while samples from Olive Garden commercials and Britney Spears interviews played over the sound system. The SS16 campaign, photographed by Benjamin Barron and revealed exclusively above, mirrors the feel of the collection which was inspired, in Huq’s own words, by “the idea of essentials... essentials of wardrobes, your mind, and sexuality.”

The resulting images are stripped-back, clean and simple, placing emphasis on the embroidered cotton t-shirts and cutaway trousers that illustrate Huq’s suburban-with-a-twist inspirations. Modelled by the likes of renowned DJ Princess Superstar (Huq’s friend babysits for her) and artist Alexandra Marzella, the casting choices were made with the idea of a creative family in mind. As Huq says, “We came together and just looked at who we like and who we’d like to see... it ended up just being friends who represent the brand and this collection.”

Following a busy breakthrough season, the designer is currently taking time to work on his upcoming AW collection but confesses that he is “a little less nervous” this time around, even though there isn’t much time to make his new creations. Despite the challenges of following fashion’s fast-paced schedule, it’s likely that Shan Huq will continue to prove himself as one of the most interesting voices of New York’s underground fashion scene. 

Read our NYFW feature with Shan Huq