Yushan Li and Jun Zhou may only have one public show under their belts, but their vision as Pronounce speaks for itself. With an emphasis on bold silhouettes and colour blocking, their latest collection, presented at NYFW, drew from the concept ‘slow is the new fast’, the pair wanting to highlight the eternal rather than the transitory. In capturing their collection as a series of Polaroids, they aimed to counteract the falsity of the internet era.

Joining together after graduating from fashion school, Yushan (who studied MA Fashion at Central Saint Martins and whose graduate collection was sponsored by the Isabella Blow Foundation) and Jun (who took an MA Menswear from the London College of Fashion and who since worked with Italian luxury house Ermenegildo Zegna) now work between Milan and Shanghai, balancing timeless references with a global flavour to craft their vision for Pronounce. Here they share their debut FW16 collection, reflect on that first show for SS17, and what comes next.

Alice Simkins: How did you two meet and what was it that made you want to work together?
Jun Zhou: We know each other from making friends in London during our study in UAL. Yushan is from Central Saint Martins and I’m from London College of Fashion – we were both doing the MA Fashion at that time. When we spoke to each other we realised that we have a very similar aesthetic and the same passion for menswear.

AS: How did you find studying in London at Central Saint Martins and the London College of Fashion influenced your work?
JZ: Studying in London had a great influence on our work. I found it interesting to focus on the construction of menswear and tailoring, it brings so much fun and a whole new world to my designs.
Yushan Li: Both my BA and MA at CSM made me see everything from a different perspective, giving me an open point of view that has had a major impact on what I do now. 

AS: Why do you choose to work between Milan and Shanghai? Do these places inspire you?
YL: We choose to work in Milan and Shanghai because Jun was based in Milan after we worked in Singapore for a while, so it was easier for us to go to Italy and start everything there. Then we went back to China – as we are a duo it’s easier for us to work in this way, when we move we move together – so that we could find out about the market there and renew communication with contacts we had there a few years ago, since leaving. 

“We want to bring some realness to our brand, nowadays everything feels very fake and way too digital. We are certainly against that, we want to have a good balance in everything we do. “

AS: What were the ideas behind your SS17 collection, and which were your favourite pieces?
JZ: The idea was, ‘slow is the new fast’. It was our first ever public show so we wanted to have this concept for the collection and the brand as well. My favourite piece is the full yellow look!

AS: What is the story behind the polaroids you shot with your SS17 collection? Why did you choose to use this medium to present your work?
YL: We want to bring some realness to our brand, nowadays everything feels very fake and way too digital. We are certainly against that, we want to have a good balance in everything we do. 

For more on Pronounce, head to their website.