Susan Fang makes Milan runway debut with joyous confections inspired by mother's happy childhood

MILAN (AP) — The last day of Milan Fashion Week dawned Sunday with fanciful and joyous confections shown beneath an arch of iridescent flowers by emerging designer Susan Fang, whose latest collection was supported by Dolce & Gabbana.

Fang said she was inspired by her mother’s happy memories growing up in rural China, incorporating bucolic scenes reproduced from her mother’s paintings. "We wanted to embrace how culture is passed down to us, whether it's personal or through art,'' Fang said backstage after being congratulated by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

Outerwear featured dreamy landscapes, including bursts of cherry blossoms against an azure sky or a babbling stream against a deep blue background. Dresses fashioned from strips of colorful fabric layered like a rainbow cake literally exuded what Fang called “a bouncy feeling of happiness.”

Fang, who launched her eponymous brand in 2017 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, makes experimentation with materials central to her work. In that vein, the collection included a sculptural daisy dress of beaded florets mounted on a 3-D structure.

Fang said the collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana's artisans helped her try new materials, including denim and sequins, and focus on tailoring.