WINNER OF THE 2021 KARL LAGERFELD PRIZE

ruiby rui zhou

Rui Zhou was born in a small city in the middle of China surrounded by mountains and trees. This environment influenced her interest in Zen Buddhism and the Wabi-Sabi Japanese aesthetic. A desire for security and protection blended with courage creates a tension that runs through her work. Rui appreciates asymmetry, irregularity, and imperfection. She sees a garment as a second layer of skin and the space between skin and fabric, body and garment, shows “the power of fragility”. Rui studied BA at Tsinghua University in Beijing and in 2018 graduated from Parsons MFA Fashion Design and Society Program. She was selected for the H&M semi-final 2017, won “CFDA+2018 Design Graduate” and "Elaine Gold Launch Pad 3.0". Her main studio is based in Shanghai.