Zane Li, a New York-based FIT graduate from China who launched his fashion label Lii in 2023, traveled to Europe for the first time in a bid to expand the scope of the brand’s appeal in Europe with his inaugural men’s collection.
“We’ve been requested a lot by the European magazines. Half of our women’s samples are in Europe. It just felt like a good experiment,” said Li during a preview, adding that he plans to return to Paris in March and show the next women’s collection off schedule.
The designer reined in his love for geometrical shapes seen in his women’s range and took a more utilitarian approach to the men’s wardrobe. It looked like a hybrid of ’90s American sportswear classics and minimal smart dressing pioneered by the likes of Prada and Jil Sander in the early 2000s.
Standouts included voluminous overcoats with bright detachable hoods, sliced-open sweatshirts purposed as scarves, two-in-one colorblocking T-shirts, and windbreakers in primary colors.
According to Li, the color choices were inspired by famed director Takeshi Kitano’s movies from the ’90s, where he reinterpreted American sportswear via a Japanese lens.
Li, who runs the brand alongside his husband, stylist Jason Rider, said the men’s range is priced below $900, slightly under the women’s line. It was made possible by harnessing manufacturing resources in his home town Chongqing and a wealth of fabric supply in Guangzhou to balance quality, price, and market expectations while maintaining a luxury feel.
