The camera flash punctuates the hushed atmosphere of Fashion Scout's intimate venue, capturing transient moments of Tifaret's latest collection against the stark white runway. Designer Chiyue Dai's sophomore presentation at London Fashion Week unfolds like carefully composed film stills, each look a frame in her cinematic vision.

Inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni's "Red Desert," the collection materializes as a visual study in contrasts. Light filters through translucent silks, creating photographs that seem to capture both material and absence simultaneously. "I wanted to express the moodiness – gloomy and sad, but at the same time people want to be themselves," Dai explains backstage, her voice soft but resolute. "They want to yell out and burn out with a romantic touch."

This duality reads beautifully through the lens. Models emerge from shadows wearing precisely tailored pieces in ash, slate, and dove-gray that absorb light, juxtaposed with jewel-toned accents that reflect it brilliantly – a technical challenge for photographers that results in compelling visual tension. The collection photographs as a study in contrast: restraint versus expression, tradition versus subversion.

The architectural silhouettes – reimagined Chinese garments with deconstructed elements – create striking lines against the minimal backdrop. A standout look features a waterproof wool trench in graphite, its collar pulled asymmetrically to one side, paired with a transparent silk blouse that reveals both skin and intricate construction techniques. "We usually try to be good women, good girls," Dai notes, "but sometimes we don't need to be perfect."

This intentional imperfection appears throughout: laser-etched pleats photograph like ripples across still water; embroidered peonies veiled beneath sheer lace create depth that the camera struggles to fully capture in a single exposure. The fabrics – primarily natural silks and fine woolens – move with a fluidity that demands video as much as still photography to appreciate fully.

Sustainability quietly underscores the collection, with Dai confirming, "Most fabrics are natural – silk, wool from Australia and Japan." She speaks of a waterproof wool developed in Japan and Chinese silks that balance luxury with accessibility. "I love natural fabric," she adds, a philosophy evident in how the garments interact with natural light.

What's most photographically compelling is how the collection embodies contradictions: garments simultaneously structured yet fluid, traditional yet avant-garde, perfectly crafted yet deliberately disrupted. This tension creates images that demand lingering attention rather than quick consumption.

As models make their final procession, the collection reveals itself as a complete photographic narrative – one that captures the isolation of Antonioni's cinematic world while offering moments of vivid expression. Like the best photography, Tifaret's work doesn't just show us something beautiful, but reveals the complex emotional undertones beneath the surface – a rare achievement for a brand in only its second London Fashion Week appearance.

Article by Aaayush Anima Aggarwal, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Photography by Chris Yates
Tearsheets by Robin Chou, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine

TIFARET: CINEMATIC DISCORD