There’s no denying that we’re fans of the revamped Generation ethos. The brand has been putting out one spectacular collection after the other, giving new lease to eastern wear and high street apparel. Recently, supplementing their existing lines, the veteran brand launched a new semi-formal/smart casual line that aims to bridge the gap between their formal and casual wear.
High street brand Generation’s latest line will have you swooning.
There’s no denying that we’re fans of the revamped Generation ethos. The brand has been putting out one spectacular collection after the other, giving new lease to eastern wear and high street apparel. Recently, supplementing their existing lines, the veteran brand launched a new semi-formal/smart casual line that aims to bridge the gap between their formal and casual wear.
Titled Ming, the line featured two collections; one namesake and the other titled Boyfriend. The Boyfriend collection features quirky, smart casual wear that’s perfect for afternoon soirees or winter brunches while the eponymous collection Ming caters to a more formal aesthetic.
Instep caught up with Harris Masood, the brainchild behind the collection at Generation for an insight into the inspiration behind the line and its philosophy.
“So basically, Ming isn’t a standalone collection. It’s a concept and a line that we will keep adding to each season,” explains Masood, adding that the need for the collection was driven by the demand to dress celebrities for the red carpet. “We’d often get approached to dress celebrities for events and we’d end up stumped because we either had casual wear or wedding formals and neither of the ranges were particularly suited to red carpet dressing. We wanted something that could cater to a dressy aesthetic without going over the top.”
Masood divulges that the project was being floated in the office and he volunteered to spearhead it. “Khadija (creative director for the brand) was extremely supportive through-out. We wanted to create something more than just a collection or a line, which is why we’re calling Ming, a concept that we will continue to build on. We drew inspiration not only from the grandeur of the ancient Chinese dynasty but also from how advanced and cutting edge it was, with arts flourishing during the reign of its rulers. That’s our ethos for the line; to be cutting edge, fashion forward and still retain the luxe element.”
Generation is undoubtedly one of the biggest high street brands of 2016; it’s revamped ethos has it on every young (or young at heart) girl’s wish list.
Some of our favorite pieces include an egg yolk yellow, flowy asymmetrical top that transcends seasons and can easily be bookmarked as a piece that will survive posterity. Another one of our favorites is a grey tweed-like top with a pack of white and red Marlborough cigarettes embroidered on it. We’re not necessarily endorsing the cigarette brand or smoking, rather the fun, kitsch element that the creative team hasn’t shied away from. The brand also continues to produce variations of their gharara pants that are extremely versatile and work with both eastern and western wear. Other pieces include maxi dress with knotted detailing and quirky, pop art prints that can be mixed and matched for a cool girl, bohemian effect.
Before releasing the collection in stores, the brand also hosted a private viewing for select media and journalists at the new space, a rooftop terrace the brand plans on using in future as well for such events.
Masood also revealed that the brand is planning on showcasing again at pret week, much to our delight. “Khadija herself is working on a collection for pret week, like last time. It’s going to be different from this line and more in keeping with the ethos that our debut runway collection embodied,” he elaborates.
Both collections from the Ming line are now in stores and available for retail. We’re grabbing our favourite pieces and holding on till pret week rolls around again. At least we have one name in the soon-to-be-revealed line-up to look forward to already.
