Fall 2025: Cheney Chan's Seven Breath Collection

CHENEY CHAN’s Fall 2025-2026 "Seven Breaths" collection was a meditation on existence itself, rendered in silk, lace, and trompe l’oeil organza feathers.

The collection chronicles the seven stages of avian life as metaphor for human existence. From the vulnerable "Birth" of an egret chick breaking free from its shell to the transformative "Death" symbolized by the raven's dissolution.

For "Birth," the lace has detailed embroidery with cut-out shapes that look like embryos. Skin can be seen through these openings, similar to how light would shine through an eggshell. The whole design uses embroidery that gradually changes from one shade to another, creating depth and layers. The pure white color represents the innocence of a newborn's first cry.

The new collection draws inspiration from the dance of the bird of paradise, infusing the philosophy of movement into the fabric texture. Here the couture body captures the rhythmic sense through three-dimensional tailoring, with the fabric naturally generating rhythmic light and shadow as it sways to the wearer’s steps. The detachable suit, reimagined in modular design, deconstructs traditional dressing rituals, each piece capable of standing alone or being recombined into a fluid narrative; the most eye-catching feature is the dynamic decoration inspired by the long plumes of Peking Opera performers—shaped by metal wires, the plumes quiver with movement.

Inspired by the ascent of the canary, the invisible skeletal structure of the couture body is outlined with a metal coiling technique. The back features biomimetic feather embroidery, replicating the aerodynamic flow of the canary’s wings; the hem is adorned with cloud-inspired embroidery patterns, echoing the broad perspective of looking down from the sky. The detachable design allows the couture to change forms, while the fingertips are embellished with gradient rhinestones.

When the cockatoo spreads its tail feathers and raises its crest, each erect plume constructs the sharp angles of the spirit. The craftsmanship deconstructs the tension of protection: rhinestone-embellished mesh forms a diamond grid on the couture body, Three-dimensional boned lace extends from the chest to head, with translucent embroidery inside, resembling the delicate textures  hidden beneath feathers.

For ”Indulgence,” lustrous fabric wraps the body, their sheen caressing the skin with a provocative glow; the skirt is layered with pleated lace and tulle, creating dynamic ripples that sway with each step,

Chan employs a strip-like overlay technique to simulate the plumage of cockatiels, with varying densities of interlaced threads aiming to represent the undulating propagation of sound waves through the air; the bodice features a three-dimensional boned lace structure, precisely recreating the rise and fall of a bird’s chest during singing, with each boning end extending into gradient embroidery..

The collection uses the raven’s vanishing as a metaphor for Death .