Fearless, sexy and unfiltered — the 24-year-old’s trademark textured ready-to-wear pieces are a hit among the stars, including Kylie Jenner. Here, the designer talks us through his dizzying year of success.
Get to Know Chet Lo, the Visionary Knitwear Designer with SZA and Doja Cat as Fans
Chet Lo never set out to create a phenomenon. In fact, the 24-year-old, London-based designer never intended to start a label at all. “I wanted the stability of a nine-to-five job, but then I realized there wasn’t enough drama,” he tells Vogue over Zoom from the confines of his east London studio.
A twist of fate brought the Asian-American creative to the United Kingdom in 2015, where he embarked on the BA knitwear course at the prestigious Central Saint Martins. At the heart of Lo’s designs is a “nostalgic Asian influence” spurred on by his fascination with “old Japanese comics and the Godzilla and Ultraman [Japanese film series] visuals.” Between interning for luxury heavyweights Maison Margiela and Proenza Schouler, the New York native is becoming a force to be reckoned with.
A futuristic graduate collection followed; titled Cnidaria’s Wife, it received rave reviews. Soon Lo was creating bespoke pieces for Kylie Jenner. By the start of 2021, he launched a new collection inspired by rebellious amorphous angels. You probably also saw Lo’s “dream girls,” as he describes them, Doja Cat and SZA strut in custom blush-pink designs for the video that accompanied their smash-hit single, “Kiss Me More.”
Vogue caught up with the designer to discuss his whirlwind year, the importance of honoring Asian culture within his designs, and why making women feel good is at the forefront of his label.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Eni Subair
