This fall 2023, we’re welcoming Guangzhou based designer brand 49 PERCENT to VERSEAS. This season's designs explore the contrast between the dynamic complexity of humanity and industrialisation. It is a new collection that seamlessly merges art, social allegory, and fashion.
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49 PERCENT has always been innovative with its minimalistic designs, and its Autumn/Winter collection is no exception. Drawing inspiration from the classic 1927 dystopian film “Metropolis” directed by Fritz Lang, the highly stylized elements can clearly be seen through their designs.
This black-and-white sci-fi film was the German director’s interpretation of a grim futuristic society where a glamorous and cultured utopia prevails atop a bleak underworld where the working class toils away day after day. 
In one of the scenes, a worker is depicted working a ten-hour shift as the literal hands of a life-size clock. This bleeds into every minute detail of 49 PERCENT’s latest collection, even down to the background of the brand’s photos. As the motion picture makes use of an extreme contrast of light and shadow, so are the collection’s dark tones contrasted against bright lines. 
Inspired by the film’s strikingly angular set design and combined with the vibrant energy of urban landscapes, these elements are reflected in the strong, clean lines and structured silhouettes. The unique details, such as fine embroidery, frayed hems, and mottled patterns, are a subtle nod to the expressionist film.
Such seamless fusion of opposing elements is a testament to 49 PERCENT's ability to push boundaries and present pertinent allegorical subtext. Fashion is not, and has never been, just about clothing. It is a medium through which we express our emotions, opinions, and identity. 
In their newest collection, 49 PERCENT has skillfully infused their designs with an emotional depth that resonates with the wearer. By exploring the implications of the industrial age through fashion, each piece in this collection tells a story, inviting us to connect on a deeper level with our own identities.
49 PERCENT’s 2023 Autumn/Winter collection serves as a reminder to embrace our own complexities and find beauty in the harmonious contrast that exists within us all.
View the collection here
Article written by Didi Aphra