Feng Chen Wang FW26 Explores Divergent Energies

Summary

• Rooted in the principle of Liang Yi, the collection investigates the coexistence of divergent energies—reason versus instinct and structure versus emotion—portrayed through a runway featuring mythical imagery and live pets.

• The aesthetic centers on a rigorous play of opposites, pairing architectural suiting and dense materials like wool and leather with deconstructed nylon panels and “perfectly imperfect” ink-splashed textures.

• Celebrating the Lunar Year of the Horse, the show integrated symbolic Dragon-Horse charms and heavily worked, hand-dyed denim to represent the cyclical momentum and enduring vitality of a system in constant motion

Feng Chen Wang transformed the Paris runway into a philosophical energy field, debuting a Fall/Winter 2026 collection that abandons traditional narrative in favor of a profound ontological study rooted in the Chinese philosophical principle of Liang Yi, or the “Two Forces.” This season explores how divergent energies—structure and instinct, reason and emotion—operate not as oppositions, but as a singular, moving system of equilibrium. The runway serves as a metaphorical energy field bridging the mythical realms of the sea and the mountain, where models walk alongside real pets to ground high-concept philosophy in the intimacy of lived reality. This interaction symbolizes the natural coexistence of human order and animal instinct, suggesting that true balance is found in active tension rather than static harmony.

In a post-show interview, Feng Chen Wang reiterated the “Liang Yi” philosophy, discussing how her collection is, “Really talking about another philosophy about how we are living our days. You also saw dogs walking with their owners in the show as well as horses [on bags], as a nod to the upcoming Lunar New Year… I find it very interesting to bring all these together…two forces, one motion.” She added, “The details this season is also very much like two forces. One is very elegant, a lot of tailoring, very detailed, very high quality. In the other side, for example the denim, the wash, it looks like it’s been crushed, destroyed, but still comes together. The very elegant, leather and wool material compared to the denim, hand-painted, all come together as two different forces but live together in a harmonious way. It’s about how perfect imperfection comes together.

The garments reflect this dynamic equilibrium through a rigorous play of opposites, where sharp, architectural tailoring and structured suiting establish clear boundaries only to be challenged by deconstructed panels and gathered nylon silhouettes. The collection anchors itself in dense, grounded materials like wool, down, and leather, which are then disrupted by lightweight textiles and animalistic surfaces. These “perfectly imperfect” textures, featuring ink-splashes and scratch marks, act as deliberate traces of order being interrupted by instinct. This tension is furthered by denim that has been hand-dyed through exhaustive processes to achieve a weathered patina, suggesting a surface worked by time and held in check by deep, tonal grounds.

In a nod to the Lunar Year of the Horse, recurring Dragon-Horse charms appear as silent anchors throughout the styling, symbolizing cyclical momentum and enduring vitality. The collection ultimately functions as an exercise in restraint and advancement, finding its strength in the vastness between opposing poles. By holding restraint and ease within a single look, the season moves forward with unwavering control through the very tension that sustains it, proving that beauty lies in a system of balance that is in constant, deliberate motion.