Time is of the essence. That endless tick-tock that has haunted the human mind since the beginning of time. It is an unsettling feeling at the back of one’s mind, like grains of sand slowly falling through an hourglass. Or as the band Dr. Dog would sing, Where’d All the Time Go?
This is precisely the pivotal theme of Hubing Selects’ collection Urban Grace: Leather & Light, presented during London Fashion Week. Founded by the renowned Chinese model Hu Bing in 2024, who was also appointed British Fashion Council Ambassador that same year and has since acted as a spotlight for independent Chinese fashion designers, helping them gain access to the global stage.
The collection intertwines Western and Eastern culture, the past and the present, to bring forward the future: the younger generation striving for recognition. At a time when everything is clouded, Hubing Selects chooses to shed light, using leather as the fil rouge of the collection.
As is customary, the story begins in the past, with the subtle notes of a pianoforte and the chime of distant bells. Suddenly, the catwalk is transported to the 1930s with the appearance of a billowing ivory gown merged with a tuxedo. As the nuptial march begins to play, the other characters of this dive into the past appear, like guests waiting for the ceremony to begin. Some are clad in capes as dark as menacing vultures, while others sport white hats and glide like graceful swans, bringing the ritual to an end.
However, every Odette needs her counterpart: the stern yet bewitching Odile. The second chapter leaves silk and gauze behind, replacing them with black leather that resembles contemporary armour. It’s almost as if gladiators have come back from the past to lend their protective gear to help us survive in the present — as we are in much greater need of protection than ever before. In this second act set in 2030, what was once soft and understated becomes solid and structural. The delicate brims of the hats have become pseudo-helmets, paired with stern leather bodices to counteract any external attacks.
Just as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol reaches his ominous future, so does this collection. Yet there is nothing sinister about the future envisioned by Hubing Selects, where the leather has become a second layer of skin. It is not a decorative tinsel or a defensive mechanism, but an integral part of ourselves that we have internalised. In the year 3030, light seems to have won the battle without forgetting its former selves. Gossamer gauze, like morning dew, sits weightlessly around the bodies, having reached a state of pure being — a futuristic bliss.
The creative process behind Hubing Selects’ collection resembles a Proustian In Search of Lost Time adventure more than a simple showcase of pure craftsmanship. It is open to speculation and interpretation, halfway suspended in a dream-like condition, making the viewer wonder what is really part of the present and what is just a shadow from a long-lost past.
With this collection, Hu Bing introduces the concept of “Finishing in China” instead of Made in China, drawing attention to the level of artistry and aesthetic refinement necessary to perfect the finished piece. Leather proves to be the perfect reflection of this intensive, intricate assembly process.
However, this is not the end of the story for Hubing Selects. The Urban Grace collection moved between Western and Eastern influences, and between London and Shanghai, prompting Hu Bing to set his sights on the wider fashion world. Over the next decade, he intends to help Chinese designers and brands feel more represented and to showcase Chinese craftsmanship across the world.
