Susan Fang unveiled her latest collection Air·Memory, supported by Dolce & Gabbana and showcased during Milan Fashion Week. Aimee Yan gives you what is deeply inside the creative journey of Susan Fang

In a fashion landscape often defined by speed and spectacle, Susan Fang stands quietly apart. Her work rooted not in excess, but in emotion. With her latest collection Air·Memory, the Chinese-born, London-based designer reaffirms her commitment to craftsmanship and human connection. It’s now at the Cocktail Select Shop, where the full collection and her mother’s artworks are on display.

Born in China and raised across four countries, Susan Fang carries a uniquely fluid worldview. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, she founded her namesake brand in 2017, quickly drawing global recognition for her ethereal vision that merges handcraft with technology.

The Air·Memory collection marks a deeply personal milestone. It celebrates the artist behind the designer, her mother, Ai Lan. Through intricate beadwork, laser-cut florals, and painterly embroidery, Susan transforms her mother’s childhood memories into tactile expressions of love and continuity.

Your collections have always drawn inspiration from nature and its elements. How do you usually seek or capture inspiration in your daily life?

We always want to create designs and pieces that can touch people’s hearts and hold meaning for us as well. It’s like when we see an artwork in an exhibition that makes our hearts flutter. We hope to evoke that same emotion. Inspiration can come from anywhere: a daily object, the energy of a friend, a challenge we’re facing. Nature itself is so profound, its harmony, its hidden formulas, and we try to reflect that through our textiles, accessories, and silhouettes, capturing the way garments move and breathe.

As a Chinese born designer who lives in London, does this multicultural environment influence your creative process in any way?

Yes, London’s international energy and China’s deep cultural wisdom significantly influence my work. Chinese philosophy and language offer timeless answers and a love for nature, while London provides a dynamic, art-loving environment with a pace that allows for creativity, especially during quiet evenings. Traveling and connecting with diverse cultures reinforces a universal human core that our shared search for love, happiness, and hope. This is what I strive to express in my collections.

Each of your seasonal collections seems to carry a sense of connection and continuity. Would you describe them as part of an ongoing narrative?

Yes, we always want to be genuine in what we create. Each collection carries a message that feels true to that moment that expressed through fabric, print, and texture. Recently, my husband Orelio and I have been exploring technology’s place in design, questioning how to balance our lives with its fast pace. But the core remains the same: no matter how complex life becomes, what we truly seek is happiness — a harmony with the rhythm of nature that we are born from. Simplicity can be the hardest to achieve, but it’s what we continue to pursue with every new collection.

Your “Air Memory” concept and signature craftsmanship have left a lasting impression. Could you share the philosophy behind this approach and the message you wish to convey through it?

Thank you so much. This is a very meaningful collection for me because it’s dedicated to my mother. It’s inspired not only by her art, but by her philosophy of life. Her dream was to hold an art exhibition in her 60s that she’s now in her late 60s, and she’s always been the one helping me fulfill my dreams first. She taught me to enjoy the process and find happiness in small things. Her childhood in the countryside shaped her love for handcraft, from farming to knitting, and that passion for life has stayed with her. I wanted this collection, with embroidery and prints inspired by her paintings, to remind us that happiness is often already within us. We just need to look back to find it.

At Milan Fashion Week, you presented your debut show in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana. Were there any particularly memorable moments or insights you gained from this collaboration?

Yes, this collection was supported by Dolce & Gabbana, Shanghai Fashion Week, and Camera Moda in Milan. It allowed us to challenge ourselves with new techniques, denim, leather, and even our first trainer design. Beyond the show itself, the most memorable part was the exhibition we held in Shanghai’s Zhang Yuan. My mother’s lifelong dream was to show her art, and we finally made it happen alongside the collection. Seeing visitors connect with both her paintings and our garments was deeply moving. Now, this exhibition continues at Cocktail Select Shop, where we hope more people can feel the love behind each piece.

We know you share a very close relationship with your mother. What role does she play in your creative journey? Could you tell us more about that bond?

My mother is the cornerstone of my creative journey. She introduced me to fashion when I was six and has supported me unconditionally ever since. Even from afar, she was always emotionally present. That support gave me strength as a shy child, it helped me discover my inner light. Today, she’s part of our design team, handling the most intricate beadwork and textiles. Our connection is intuitive; when I imagine a new textile, she instinctively understands how to make it real. She sees life’s beauty, like how a tree grows, and translates it into color and texture. Working alongside her is a gift.

In this era of rapidly advancing AI technology, has it affected your creative process or inspired you in any way?

Yes, absolutely. Handcraft has always been at the core of our brand but at the same time we are never afraid to experiment with new technologies. 3d printing for example has been a big part of how we create accessories for a while now.  In the same way while the rapid advance of AI can feel unstoppable, we believe it’s important to understand it. My husband, who has joined our brand as the head of accessories and footwear, uses AI to help with complex coding. This allows him to write intricate formulas in Houdini a program typically used for animation and special effects which we then use to push the boundaries of 3D printing.

The result is not a cold, technology-driven design, but a creative dialogue with technology. We create systems that use nature’s own formulas to create bags, glasses, and explorative accessories that mimic natural growth patterns. Our goal is to create nature-inspired pieces that showcase futuristic craftsmanship while retaining a sense of warmth and harmony with nature.

Looking back from your first collection to your most recent work, how do you think your mindset or creative direction has evolved?

The core has stayed the same in bringing creativity and positive energy to people. However, we’ve also become more balanced commercially. Collaborations with brands like Nike and Melissa have allowed us to experiment with new materials and production technologies, adding dynamism to each season.

Are there any new techniques or forms of craftsmanship that you’re particularly eager to explore or experiment with in the future?

We will continue to go both ways to deepen our craftsmanship and couture elevated every season and on the other side, we will also push the technology side also further, but they will both be connected by the sense of a surreal and dreaminess. 

Lastly, could you share a little about your upcoming plans? Are there any new projects or design directions currently in the works?

Recently, we’ve been creating more bridal commissions and custom looks for concerts in pieces inspired by our show collections. We also have upcoming collaborations with Nike, Melissa, and Rockfish. These projects let us expand into new categories and build a richer, more imaginative world, one that we hope brings people closer to art, nature, and emotion.

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