Nerd chic? Zhang Da said he purposefully picked "average guys and girls" as models. Photo: Guo Yingguang

By Xu Liuliu

It wasn't exactly what you could call a fashion show. The warehouse-like hall at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) had no flashing lights, pulsing music, fashion industry people or willowy models. The only objects present were out-dated pieces of furniture commonly seen in China during the 1980s arranged in the middle of the cavernous hall.

As a mulling crowd swelled in size I make sure to check my invitation again and it said, in fact, that I was meant to be standing in the middle of a fashion show, specifically, the Zhang Da Boundless Clothes Exhibition. Everyone present was chatting and laughing like at a family gathering, drinking sodas from small glass bottles and tea from enamel mugs. It was as if we had all stepped back in time to 30 years ago.

Suddenly, the hall's lights went dark and a male model emerged from an area that could be considered a "backstage." He - obviously not a pro - was wearing a pair of blue cotton trousers that looked straight out of a forgotten decade. He was naked from the waist up, though his chest was painted with ads for getting a forged certificate, the kind commonly found all over the city.

Following in his wake, 26 different models also emerged wearing revolutionary-retro wardrobes as part of designer Zhang Da's new collection Boundless ("Meibian"). "These are not professional models," he said. "I invited them to show off my designs. These people live among us."

A model mingles with the audience. Photo: Guo Yingguang

All of Zhang's "average guy and girl" models were clad in either red or blue, the only two colors worn during China's more revolutionary periods. "I was inspired by the uniforms of workers from the 1960s," he explained. Some of the women's blue jackets were decorated with prints of tiny flowers.

When asked whether or not he was concerned with leading trends in fashion, Zhang laughed and said his aim was to be "classic" whereas trends ultimately only last in the short term. "I am not against what's popular, nor do I want to chase after that," he said. "What I want to do focuses on what we have now."

Most designers are aware of Zhang's work but have never encountered it, as he is notorious for a low-key stature that has ultimately worked to his benefit. He was recently awarded an Italian fashion award and was named chief designer of the Chinese clothing brand Layefe.

Zhang's Boundless show only ran for 30 minutes, and afterwards his models started mingling with the crowd, still wearing their costumes. Some female models even walked around offering candy to anyone who wanted it.

Zhang said his designs were available for purchase at the UCCA store.