With his debut Spring/Summer 2027 collection, Jiao explores the relationship between public image and personal identity. A debut that brings together textile experimentation, contrasting silhouettes, and an immersive experience conceived by VisionX.
Following a career in the luxury fashion industry, Jo Jiao makes his debut as an independent designer with his eponymous label. Having lived in Beijing, Hong Kong, and New York, Jiao has developed a creative perspective shaped by different cultures. His educational background at the Wharton School and Parsons School of Design, combined with professional experience at companies such as Vestiaire Collective, has contributed to a design philosophy in which individual expression takes center stage.
For his debut, Jo Jiao chose New York’s Cosmos Gallery, collaborating with VisionX, which was responsible for curating the immersive installation. The collection explores the complexities of contemporary identity and the relationship between what we reveal to others and what we choose to keep private.
Titled It’s Not Like You Are You, the Spring/Summer 2027 collection reflects on the role of clothing in shaping our image. Getting dressed becomes a way of defining how we present ourselves to the world, while also allowing us to control what others are able to perceive.
This duality is directly reflected in the designer’s aesthetic choices. Architectural silhouettes and structured tailoring are juxtaposed with delicate organza, sheer fabrics, and subtle ombré effects. More defined volumes suggest a sense of protection, while fluid materials introduce a softer, more spontaneous dimension.
Rather than pursuing a uniform ideal of perfection, the silhouettes express a constantly evolving personality, capable of revealing different facets depending on the context.
Material exploration also plays a significant role in the collection through a collaboration with Freda Xia, an artist and textile designer specializing in innovative and sustainable materials. The collaboration introduces an experimental textile dimension, enriching the collection with new textures and expressive possibilities while exploring the relationship between material fragility and the potential for transformation.
The collection’s narrative extends beyond the garments through the collaboration with VisionX, which designed the scenography, transforming Cosmos Gallery into an environment intended to engage the audience directly.
In the main gallery, where the runway show took place, mirrored surfaces, translucent textiles, and fluid sculptural installations alter the perception of space, multiplying reflections and perspectives. The installation visually echoes the contrasts within the collection, turning the environment into an extension of Jiao’s design language.
With Spring/Summer 2027, the designer marks the beginning of his creative journey through a collection that combines tailored construction, lightweight materials, and conceptual exploration.
Jiao approaches the theme of identity without imposing a single interpretation, instead focusing on the contradictions that shape the way we present ourselves to others. Structure meets softness, a strong visual presence coexists with intimacy, and clothing takes on different meanings depending on the person wearing it.
A debut that positions fashion not merely as a form of aesthetic expression, but as a means of exploring the many facets of individuality, offering an early glimpse into the creative direction of the emerging label.
Photographer: Anna Arnet