BEYOND THE BORDER: JACQUES WEI

JACQUES WEI MERGES THE VIBRANCY OF SHANGHAI STYLE WITH A PARISIAN ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

By Morgan Becker

Jacques Wei garments carry a touch of the past into the future. The tailoring bears marks of the late 20th century—tapered pants, slip skirts, and collared jackets in neutral tones—with cuts updated for the present day, brought to life with lace, animal print, chunky hardware, and sequins. The base is minimalist. The final product is anything but. The Jacques Wei woman is glamor personified: “If it feels raw enough, I roll with it,” designer Donghui Wei puts it.

Despite studying in Paris at the Atelier Chardon Savard and working in the French capital for the better part of a decade, Donghui—and stylist Austin Feng, his co-founder—decided to headquarter in Shanghai. They’ve found a lot of support amongst Chinese publications and retailers, showing at the city’s growing Fashion Week and amassing a devoted fanbase. It’s offered the label a degree of freedom to truly experiment with clothing as a form of “wearable art.” In that vein, Donghui’s last collection was in collaboration with contemporary Irish painter Ted Pim for a series of prints and beaded elements. “I’ve never seen a divide between art and fashion,” says the designer. “This was art and fashion going wild together.”

Beyond Noise took to Shanghai, taking in Jacques Wei at its home base. Here, the mind behind the clothing speaks on muses, his city’s charm, and where he’ll take the label next.

Beyond the Border is a series spotlighting international designers—crossing not just physical boundaries, but also creative ones. It harnesses the power of AI to set designs in motion, photographed traditionally, then animated for the online realm.

MORGAN BECKER: How would you describe the fashion scene in Shanghai, and how does Jacques Wei fit into the mix?

DONGHUI WEI: Contradictory and vibrant. And for Jacques Wei… I don’t know, I just be myself.

MB: How’d you find your way into the world of design?

DW: Once I saw clothing as a silent statement, there was no other path. Design isn’t a job—it’s instinct.

MB: Where do you see Parisian influence in your work, given that you studied and worked there for some time?

DW: Paris made me detail-obsessed and taught me to rebel within elegance. My Chinese heritage is a rich source of inspiration. The blend defines my signature.

MB: You seem to pull a lot from decades past, silhouettes and patterns of the ’80s and ’90s. How’d you land on that kind of tailoring?

DW: Classics need a modern spin. The ’80s and ’90s elements are gold. It’s not replication; we reinvent them with new fabrics and cuts to make them pop again.

MB: Is it challenging to modernize—to make those cuts relatable to your consumers?

DW: It’s all about that “familiar yet new” vibe.

MB: How do you want women to feel when they wear a Jacques Wei garment?

DW: They’ll figure it out.

MB: You’re a maximalist when it comes to patterns and other sorts of contrasting materials—fur, sequins, lace. Are these combinations instinctual? How do you assemble a look for the runway?

DW: If it feels raw enough, I roll with it. Inspiration strikes, I act. The theme keeps everything in line—holds it all together. Materials clash and reconcile. Each runway look tells a visual story, and that’s how people get what you want to say.

MB: Is there a place in Shanghai that moves you creatively?

DW: Old buildings, market colors, art galleries—Shanghai’s a gold mine.

MB: If you could dress anyone, who would you choose?

DW: Tilda Swinton. She’s a living subversion of aesthetic norms.

MB: You’re a big fan of contemporary art—your latest collection was a collaboration with Ted Pim. Tell us about that partnership.

DW: I’ve never seen a divide between art and fashion. With Ted, we clicked instantly. It was fashion and art going wild together.

MB: Your designs read as very metropolitan, but somehow also convey something sentimental or verdant. What’s your relationship to the natural world?

DW: It’s the beginning and the end. I’m just passing through.

MB: Where do you hope to take your label from here?

DW: Pave our own path.