{"id":721159,"date":"2025-11-21T15:23:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T12:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=721159"},"modified":"2025-11-21T15:23:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T12:23:41","slug":"jake-zhang-is-forging-fashion-avatars-for-a-post-physical-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=721159","title":{"rendered":"Jake Zhang is forging fashion avatars for a post-physical world"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/fashion\/article\/69114\/1\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026-collection-central-saint-martins\" data-article-id=\"69114\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.25\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"GOPR3549\" class=\"img\" height=\"1408\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431224-1.jpg\" width=\"1760\" title=\"1431224-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nathan Wright<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><span class=\"month\">November<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"21\">21,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2025<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - fashion\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/on-the-rise\">On the Rise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Jake Zhang is forging fashion avatars for a <span class=\"nowrap\">post-physical world<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>Dropping his latest collection exclusively on Dazed, the Saint Martins grad talks queering sportswear, fashion holy grails and finally retraining as <span class=\"nowrap\">an orthodontist<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"month\">November<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"21\">21,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2025<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - fashion\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/on-the-rise\">On the Rise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/ElliotHoste\">Elliot Hoste<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<aside class=\"primary\">\n<div class=\"sticky bottom\">\n<div class=\"read-more\"><span class=\"read-more-header\">Read More<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-items\">\n<div class=\"read-more-item vertical-art-photography\">\n<div class=\"read-more-item-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69103\/1\/the-web-history-new-yorks-first-asian-gay-bar-nyc-exhibition-photography-zine\" class=\"article-list-item-image\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Web: The Birth and Legacy of New York\u2019s First Asian Gay\" class=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430854-6.jpg\" title=\"1430854-6\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-item-content\"><a class=\"category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\">Art &amp; Photography<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/69103\/1\/the-web-history-new-yorks-first-asian-gay-bar-nyc-exhibition-photography-zine\"><span class=\"title\">\u2018A space to let your guard down\u2019: The story of NYC\u2019s first Asian gay bar<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"read-more-item vertical-beauty\">\n<div class=\"read-more-item-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69118\/1\/meet-the-people-taking-psychedelics-to-enhance-their-workouts\" class=\"article-list-item-image\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Charli xcx, &quot;360&quot; (2024)\" class=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431220-2.jpg\" title=\"1431220-2\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-item-content\"><a class=\"category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\">Beauty<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/beauty\/article\/69118\/1\/meet-the-people-taking-psychedelics-to-enhance-their-workouts\"><span class=\"title\">Can psychedelics enhance your workout?<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"read-more-item vertical-life-culture\">\n<div class=\"read-more-item-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69100\/1\/could-bricking-my-phone-help-me-feel-more-present\" class=\"article-list-item-image\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"03 Close Up Of Bricking\" class=\"img\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430964-4.jpeg\" title=\"1430964-4\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-item-content\"><a class=\"category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\">Life &amp; Culture<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/life-culture\/article\/69100\/1\/could-bricking-my-phone-help-me-feel-more-present\"><span class=\"title\">Could \u2018Bricking\u2019 my phone make me feel something?<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-13-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">Jake Zhang <span class=\"nowrap\">Pre-Fall 2026<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36345\/0\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"962\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431196.jpg\" width=\"1443\" title=\"1431196\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36345\/1\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"1052\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431197.jpg\" width=\"1578\" title=\"1431197\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36345\/2\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"986\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431198.jpg\" width=\"1479\" title=\"1431198\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36345\/3\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"1026\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431199.jpg\" width=\"1539\" title=\"1431199\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36345\/4\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"1006\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431200.jpg\" width=\"1510\" title=\"1431200\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/gallery\/36345\/5\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"1223\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431201.jpg\" width=\"1835\" title=\"1431201\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 13 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In February, close to the beginning of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/central-saint-martins\"><span>Central Saint Martins<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019 140-look MA show, a collection appeared on the runway that forced onlookers to cock their heads with a certain kind of intrigue. Muscle-laden lads in striking sportswear appeared on the catwalk, with cropped hoodies revealing hip bones, micro shorts skimming the upper thigh, and a pair of 3D y-fronts bulging from their wearers\u2019 crotch. But amidst the grey sweats and snug lycra, there was also an air of cartoonishness, as if the boys had been spliced with digital avatars set free from the confines of a video game. \u201cThe collection is about trying to find joy in the future that feels a bit uncertain,\u201d Jake Zhang told us at the time. \u201cIt\u2019s about how we all have these digital escapes, like video games, cartoons. Instead of trying to escape with them, how do we bring them into the everyday?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Today, Zhang\u2019s Instagram is populated with the kinds of men you assume are his muses \u2013 all veiny arms and crotch shots, but still wearing his cartoonish clothes. The result is kind of like if Wolfgang Tillmans\u2019 portraits had been made for the Power Rangers. Along with the merging of physical and digital worlds, this queering of sportswear seems to be central to Zhang\u2019s work, subverting the codes of masculinity by reimagining men as a kind of digital-physical hybrid. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about always asking myself the question of who this man that I create is,\u201d says Zhang. \u201cIf he were walking down the street or at a party, would people want to approach him? I always try to make sure that his sexuality and attractiveness don\u2019t stem from intimidation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, we chat to Zhang about <\/span><em><span>Max Power<\/span><\/em><span>, his first collection since graduating from Saint Martins, the digital software he uses in his designs, and which celeb has got him dressing up like Cyclops.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"fb7700d4-ed4c-43be-8bde-b39b00c97869\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1578\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/1\/1431197.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.25\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"1263\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431197-1.jpg\" width=\"1578\" title=\"1431197-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Jake Zhang <span class=\"nowrap\">Pre-Fall 2026<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nathan Wright<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the reality of making your first collection since graduating from\u00a0 Saint Martins? How different is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s definitely been challenging. I feel like I\u2019ve had to relearn how to construct and finish garments without all the equipment and people that I relied on for support at uni. I feel like I\u2019m much more resourceful now. It\u2019s different not being around other creatives all day, but in some ways, this has helped me to avoid external pressures and minimise self-doubt. I feel like I can start to carve my own niche within the industry now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In terms of design, it\u2019s come a lot easier now that I\u2019ve gone through the whole process before. I feel like I\u2019ve started to develop what I\u2019m really about as a designer \u2013 where I go to for research, what type of people I design for, and really think of my practice as a lifetime-long venture. I also feel like the response to my MA collection has really helped shape how I see my own work and how I want people to understand it, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is <\/strong><strong><em>Max Power<\/em><\/strong><strong> about, and how is it a continuation of your MA collection?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> My work is always about trying to move forward, trying to capture how it feels to exist right now, in a world that can feel completely overwhelming \u2013 questioning how physical fashion should exist in a world that\u2019s increasingly digital. I don\u2019t believe fashion should offer a faraway fantasy; I think it should offer us a hopeful view of the future, within the context of reality. My MA collection was about digital escapes being brought into reality, thinking about a daily wardrobe that combined the two. This collection sits in the same context but is about our relentless desire to be more than human, thinking about a world beyond the physical limits of the human body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I was looking a lot at Hasegawa\u2019s paintings, and the photography of Tamotsu Yato \u2013 this idea of bodybuilding and male eroticism also being reflections of our desire to push the human body to its full capabilities. I was also watching a lot of sports anime when I was designing the collection, like <\/span><em><span>Blue Lock<\/span><\/em><span> \u2013 I love watching really exaggerated versions of reality. I wanted to explore the hunger we all have to push ourselves to the limit, and how the digital realm is a manifestation of that need. It\u2019s trying to capture this feeling of excitement and the unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>We\u2019re all preoccupied with a digital-physical reality because we\u2019re constantly forced to endure it, so I\u2019m trying to find a way of working and living within it that feels more optimistic\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Your design aesthetic is about creating \u201cphysical manifestations of digital realities\u201d\u00a0 by combining sportswear with digital avatars. Where does this preoccupation with a digital-physical reality come from?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s easy to be nostalgic in times like these, which feel super dark. I see ourselves as having two options: the first is to be a Luddite \u2013 to reject technology, and constantly yearn for a pre-digital world, and the other is to face the harsh truth of the digital age and understand that the only way to move forward is to try and find joy in what we do have. A lot of the little joys I have day-to-day are from consuming digital media, like cartoons and YouTube. And within fashion, I love to play and experiment with different software and tools, and try things that would never be possible to visualise with just physical materials. I think that we\u2019re all preoccupied with a digital-physical reality because we\u2019re constantly forced to endure it, so I\u2019m trying to find a way of working and living within it that feels more optimistic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Can you tell us about UV projection, 3D AI and some of the processes you\u2019ve used in the collection?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> I start my design process by styling my own wardrobe on a body and then use AI to convert the images into 3D models. I try to use things in unconventional ways, for example, some of the garment silhouettes came from putting in images of the back of my MA collection into AI, to confuse it and see how it would interpret the front. I\u2019ll also project images onto 3D models. There was a hoodie in my MA collection that was a result of me projecting a picture of a hoodie I owned onto a 3D model of a drape I did. I interpreted the silhouette through pattern-cutting, whilst interpreting the projection as decorative appliqu\u00e9 panels. The navy cut-out tracksuit bottoms in this collection came from projecting a Roblox avatar onto a 3D model and cutting away pieces.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>My design process is basically about taking different pieces of research, references and tests and merging them all together into one garment. I\u2019ll take a collar from an AI experiment, and stitching from a jacket I love, and a silhouette from an old photograph I\u2019ve found in the library, and find a way of piecing them together to make a coherent piece of clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"d95ab23c-4d1d-479b-b2db-b39b00c98787\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1539\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/1\/1431199.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.25\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang Pre-Fall 2026\" class=\"img\" height=\"1230\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431199-1.jpg\" width=\"1539\" title=\"1431199-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Jake Zhang <span class=\"nowrap\">Pre-Fall 2026<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photography Nathan Wright<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>The clothes that you make queer sportswear, and in turn the codes of traditional masculinity \u2013 in your design process, how do you walk the line between subverting those codes and unintentionally adhering to them?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s definitely something I\u2019m always conscious of. It\u2019s human nature for us to be weirdly attracted and excited by things that also scare us. People like to categorise queerness and masculinity as two opposite things, but we all possess aspects of both, and being aware of how they interact with one another is the key. Ultimately, it\u2019s about considering the politics of how we dress and ensuring that the message is a positive one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I also believe that to subvert, you need to exist within the very context you are trying to defy. If I were to completely reject codes of masculinity, then there would be no argument being made. I think you need to try and change things from within, by both adhering and subverting in different aspects.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>People like to categorise queerness and masculinity as two opposite things, but we all possess aspects of both\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Now some quickfire questions. What\u2019s your ghost outfit?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> My Nike tech fleece tracksuit, but I\u2019d want it to be fully white.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which four designers are in your Fashion Mount Rushmore?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> Romain Kremer, Jeremy Scott, Massimo Osti, Nigo.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which iconic supermodel is opening your next show?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> Tyson Beckford.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You wake up tomorrow and the fashion industry has disappeared. What are you retraining as?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> An orthodontist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you have a freakum outfit growing up?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> I\u2019m not sure, but I used to feel pretty good wearing my Maharishi trousers to college.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Send the most recent picture\/screenshot on your camera roll.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> From the Gilbert and George exhibition gift shop. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"cadfc56b-d60a-49c0-a4fb-b39b010929f6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/1\/1431213.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.33\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jake Zhang recent photo\" class=\"img\" height=\"2250\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431213.jpeg\" width=\"3000\" title=\"1431213\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of <span class=\"nowrap\">Jake Zhang<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>You encounter a hostile alien race and fashion is their only mechanism for communication. What would you make them to inspire them to spare you and the rest of the human race?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> One of the slogan t-shirts that Bart Simpson makes in that episode where he has a t-shirt business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s a fashion holy grail you\u2019re yet to get your hands on?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> An all grey BAPE full zip hoodie.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019re trapped in a lift with your celebrity crush \u2013 who is it, and what are you wearing?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> Nicholas Hoult, and I\u2019m dressed as Cyclops from X-Men.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What fictional character do you most relate to and why?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jake Zhang:<\/strong><span> [<\/span><em><span>Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/span><\/em><span>\u2019s] Greg Heffley, because we\u2019re lowkey twins.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-series\">\n<h4 class=\"heading\">More on these topics<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-series\"><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\">Fashion<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/on-the-rise\">On the Rise<\/a><a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/central-saint-martins\">Central Saint Martins<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"grid\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp\">\n<div class=\"lava-lamp-text-container\">\n<h3 class=\"lava-lamp-subheading\">Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid section-header\">\n<div class=\"section-header__link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69114\/1\/fashion\"><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"section-header__title\">READ MORE<\/h2>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid tag-article-list\">\n<div class=\"swiper swiper-latest\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69099\/1\/mortica-studios-new-york-designer-rethink-relationship-work-follow-suit\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Still 6\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430963-2.jpg\" title=\"1430963-2\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">This New York designer wants you to rethink the value of hard work<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69107\/1\/dev-hynes-valentino-cruise-2026-campaign-alessandro-michele-behind-the-scenes\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dev Hynes Valentino Nocturne campaign BTS\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431126-4.jpg\" title=\"1431126-4\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Go behind-the-scenes at Dev Hynes\u2019 first Valentino campaign<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69101\/1\/jane-birkin-it-girl-biography-marisa-meltzer-french-style-icon\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jane Birkin\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431036-4.jpg\" title=\"1431036-4\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">How Jane Birkin became fashion\u2019s most complicated icon<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69102\/1\/ludovic-de-saint-sernin-answers-the-da-zed-quiz-zara-ss26-couture\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ludovic de Saint Sernin x Zara\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1431029-6.jpg\" title=\"1431029-6\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Ludovic de Saint Sernin answers the dA-Zed quiz <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69095\/1\/lily-allen-16arlington-london-runway-show-revenge-dress-lila-moss-adwoa-aboah\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"16A x AP _ Look 3\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430921-6.jpg\" title=\"1430921-6\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Lily Allen was out for revenge at 16Arlington\u2019s It-girl convention<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69091\/1\/jil-sander-gets-cosy-with-moncler\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Moncler x Jil Sander\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430840-8.jpg\" title=\"1430840-8\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Jil Sander gets cosy with Moncler<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69088\/1\/vivienne-westwood-nana-manga-collaboration-capsule-collection\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vivienne Westwood x NANA\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430852-7.jpg\" title=\"1430852-7\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Exploring the parallel lives of Vivienne Westwood and cult manga NANA<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69085\/1\/haider-ackermann-throws-it-down-with-willie-nelson-for-canada-goose\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Snow Goose by Canada Goose AW25\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430784-9.jpg\" title=\"1430784-9\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Haider Ackermann throws it down with Willie Nelson for Canada Goose<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69077\/1\/brontez-purnell-telfar-clemens-paradigm-shift-exhibition-180-strand-london\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Telfar, New Models still\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1429274-10.jpg\" title=\"1429274-10\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Brontez Purnell on the rise of Telfar Clemens<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69069\/1\/nostalgia-defining-aesthetic-of-the-2020s-king-kylie-2010-swag-tumblr\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"MixCollage-12-Nov-2025-05-03-PM-7431\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430628-11.jpg\" title=\"1430628-11\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Will nostalgia be the defining aesthetic of the 2020s?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69062\/1\/vivienne-westwood-and-jewellery-new-book-kate-moss-eva-herzigova\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vivienne Westwood &amp; Jewellery\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430587-12.jpg\" title=\"1430587-12\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">In pictures: Vivienne Westwood\u2019s jewellery archive has found a new home<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69053\/1\/military-hussar-jacket-trend-so-hot-right-now-jenna-ortega-mcqueen\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"MixCollage-10-Nov-2025-04-40-PM-8780\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1430530-14.jpg\" title=\"1430530-14\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The hottest girls you know are dressing like The Nutcracker<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/69114\/1\/jake-zhang-pre-fall-2026-collection-central-saint-martins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photography Nathan Wright November\u00a0 21,\u00a0 2025 FashionOn the Rise Jake Zhang is forging fashion avatars for a post-physical world Dropping his latest collection exclusively on Dazed, the Saint Martins grad talks queering sportswear, fashion holy grails and finally retraining as an orthodontist November\u00a0 21,\u00a0 2025 FashionOn the Rise TextElliot Hoste Read More Art &amp; Photography\u2018A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":721160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-721159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=721159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/721159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/721160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=721159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=721159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=721159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}