Yui Chen’s Food Cover begins with a fold
The Hyères Grand Prix winner turns the mechanics of a collapsible household cover into garments that open, shelter and draw back in.
A food cover is made to disappear between uses. Open it, and a light frame holds its shape; fold it down, and the structure retreats. Yui Chen starts with that movement in Food Cover, her Grand Prix winning collection at the 2026 Hyères festival.
Transparent lace is stretched over collapsible frames, giving the wearer a space inside the garment while leaving its construction visible. Elsewhere, an eight-panel recycled-leather sheath folds flat like an accordion. These are not simply oversized silhouettes. Their proportions change with the way each piece opens and closes.
There is wit in lifting a familiar kitchen object into fashion, but the collection stays with the practical question it raises: how much room can a garment make around the body, and how little can it occupy when that room is taken away?
Sources & further reading
- Villa Noailles · 2026 fashion competition winners ↗
- Villa Noailles · Yui Chen ↗
- Vogue · In Hyères, Yui Chen Takes Top Prize ↗
Keep reading
Fashion Month’s Thai Front Row
From Dior to Miu Miu, Thai performers were a visible part of this season’s show circuit. Their presence reveals how fashion’s guest lists are changing—and what a front-row seat can, and cannot, deliver.
McQueen Spring 2027: Seán McGirr’s final collection
After the announcement of McGirr’s departure, the London show reads as a study in what happens when rigorous tailoring meets a less orderly body.
Louis Vuitton Spring 2027: an off-centre cut
A pale opening dress, a cropped jacket and a checked coat show where Nicolas Ghesquière shifts the line of a familiar garment.