For CHIMERA, Ethan Hon’s first womenswear collection, the designer draws inspiration from the notion of identity and packaging design, playfully questioning how we package ourselves to blend into society. In the mid 90s, Hon grew up fascinated by Japanese culture and brands, finding great emphasis on packaging design. Often, this emphasis on packaging belied the quality of the product. This contradiction inspired Hon to focus his research on Trompe l’oeil (meaning “to deceive the eye” in French), an artistic technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that a depicted object exists in three dimensions.The collection includes sculpted and engineered overcoats, tailored long wide leg pants in mutliple colors, a long structured knit vest that is long in front and short in the back, and a wool crepe bonded big coat with Hon’s signature back wing detail. One of the collection’s key pieces is the pleated knit turtle neck in Merino wool and cashmere that Hon developed with a factory for more than six months. This wearable work of art best illustrates the full dichotomy of Hon’s design process, inscribling itself in the lines between wearable fashion and art, old and new, solidity and openness. It respects the past in construction and fabric while projecting a modern feel through its fuctional and clean shape. This piece proudly displays its handmade nature, even providing intimate insight into the handcrafted interior through its sheer knit stripe. www.ethanhon.com .