Those who were taken with the modern, sleek looks from Korean designer Yuni Ahn’s capsule collection for Shanghai Tang released last year have more to look forward to. The Chinese luxury fashion house has announced a follow-up launch, Collection 2: Xin Yi, in which Ahn once again combines inspiration drawn from Chinese heritage with her clean and contemporary aesthetic.

Ahn was formerly the creative director of French ready-to-wear fashion label Maison Kitsuné, and, more notably, also known to have cut her teeth at French luxury house Celine, working under the much-celebrated Phoebe Philo. Which is why there’s no surprise that her first capsule collection is a minimalist-chic breath of fresh air, presenting a refreshingly cool take on elements dear to Shanghai Tang.

You can expect to see familiar Chinese motifs — such as the moon, bamboo and the house’s iconic latticework pattern — interpreted in a contemporary and luxe fashion in the new collection. Style elements borrowed from traditional Chinese garments, too, continue to be key features in this second capsule collection.

We’ve seen how Ahn worked the qi pao collar into modern ready-to-wear blouses and dresses in last year’s Pre-Fall releases — this time round, she shines the spotlight on a garment that’s a little more unexpected. Inspired by the du dou, an undershirt worn by women of ancient China, she has created a similarly halter-necked dress and top that are a subtle and classy nod to said undergarment, which also make suitably edgy and stylish fashion statements for the modern urbanite.

Apart from design, demanding crafting techniques are also utilised in the latest collection — in particular, to create the fluffy lattice seen on some of the soft fabrics. To create the 3D effect, embroidery has to be first completed on fine silk wool, before skilled craftsmen hand-cut the pattern to reveal an embossed effect on the fabric. Each piece of this fabric is hand-finished by expert artisans, and the meticulous work put into every detail is clearly discernible.

The accessories from the capsule collection are, of course, another category that showcases Ahn’s unmistakable touch of modern minimalist edge. The Fortune Cookie line of bags sees a compact addition in the form of a new belt bag that can be worn around the waist, slung over the shoulder or across the chest, or simply carried as a clutch. The bag integrates a bamboo-detail buckle and chain, and also a short strap that can be “pulled” to further accentuate the fortune-cookie silhouette.

Another bag style that welcomes a smaller family member is the North South tote. A new mini version of the bag combines all the practical features of its predecessors in a compact size that will be a lot more portable. Classic Chinese symbols subtly incorporated into the bag mark it as a Shanghai Tang design — these include a half-moon motif, representing family reunion, embossed along the base; and a bamboo print on the tote’s interior. 

The fashionista who’s looking to set herself apart from others with her style choices will, again, find something to love from this sleek encore to the Yuni Ahn for Shanghai Tang debut collection. Will there be more to come from the partnership? One thing’s for sure — we truly hope to see it continued indefinitely.

To see the collection, visit Shanghai Tang at Takashimaya S.C., Ngee Ann City, #03-05/06, Tel: 6737 3537, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, B2M-232, Tel: 6688 7181 or Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-27A, Tel: 6338 6628.