Following his celebrated win at the 2024 Vogue China Fashion Fund, Louis Shengtao Chen reemerges with a highly anticipated Resort 2026 collection—his first-ever pre-season outing, and one that signals a designer in graceful transition. This body of work doesn’t abandon Chen’s signature fantasy, but instead recontextualizes it through a lens of clarity, restraint, and commercial finesse.

Acting as a conceptual prelude to his upcoming Spring 2026 runway return, the collection unfolds like a quiet crescendo—filled with garments that charm, challenge, and ultimately seduce. Chen’s flair for visual storytelling remains, yet his silhouettes speak with new confidence and tactility. Semi-sheer tailored coats in powdery pastels, deconstructed florals, and ghostly balloon hems offer a dialogue between romanticism and modern edge.
There’s a notable shift in his relationship to structure. Tailoring, once a peripheral detail, now forms the backbone of the collection. Elongated waistcoats and single-button blazers sit alongside sinuous slips and pearl-trapped organza layers—proving that eccentricity can coexist with longevity. These pieces are not diluted—they’re distilled.

Chen’s Resort 2026 marks a turning point, both personally and professionally. By dialing back the theatricality just enough, he has carved out a visual language that feels more nuanced, more wearable, yet still wholly his own. It's a collection that embraces the “in-between” space—between imagination and function, spectacle and simplicity.

As the designer looks ahead to a full-scale return and broader global presence, this collection stands as a refined assertion of intent. Resort 2026 is not simply a bridge—it’s a blueprint for balancing identity with evolution.