Man's Suit
2018 (made)
2018 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This pink men’s suit is a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional formal attire for men, known as the ‘Zhongshan suit.’ It is part of PRONOUNCE’s Autumn/Winter 2018 menswear collection, which was showcased at London Fashion Week in January 2018. PRONOUNCE is a Chinese fashion brand founded in 2016 by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou.
The ‘Zhongshan suit’ is a two-piece tunic suit named after Dr Sun Zhongshan (also known as Sun Yat-sen), often referred to as the Father of the Republic of modern China (1912–1949). Dr Sun introduced this new style of clothing, inspired by Prussian military dress, as official attire for civil servants in the 1910s. The jacket features a fold-over collar and four flap-patch pockets, symbolising the Four Virtues: propriety, justice, honesty, and shame. Traditionally, the suit was made of grey wool, a material uncommon in Chinese clothing at the time.
The minimalist design of the ‘Zhongshan suit’ continues to resonate with contemporary designers who view it as an enduring sartorial symbol for Chinese men. Yushan Li and Jun Zhou’s work reimagines this classic design while challenging traditional notions of gender. For this suit, they replaced the grey fabric of the original Zhongshan suit with pink, a colour often associated with femininity, to subvert masculine stereotypes and reflect a ‘gender-fluid generation.’
The ‘Zhongshan suit’ is a two-piece tunic suit named after Dr Sun Zhongshan (also known as Sun Yat-sen), often referred to as the Father of the Republic of modern China (1912–1949). Dr Sun introduced this new style of clothing, inspired by Prussian military dress, as official attire for civil servants in the 1910s. The jacket features a fold-over collar and four flap-patch pockets, symbolising the Four Virtues: propriety, justice, honesty, and shame. Traditionally, the suit was made of grey wool, a material uncommon in Chinese clothing at the time.
The minimalist design of the ‘Zhongshan suit’ continues to resonate with contemporary designers who view it as an enduring sartorial symbol for Chinese men. Yushan Li and Jun Zhou’s work reimagines this classic design while challenging traditional notions of gender. For this suit, they replaced the grey fabric of the original Zhongshan suit with pink, a colour often associated with femininity, to subvert masculine stereotypes and reflect a ‘gender-fluid generation.’
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Title | |
| Materials and techniques | Merino wool, cotton, regenerated cellulose fibre, plastic, stainless-steel |
| Brief description | Man's suit (Zhongshan suit), pink merino wool, designed by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou, PRONOUNCE Autumn/Winter 2018 Menswear collection, made in Shanghai, China, 2018 |
| Physical description | This man’s suit is made of pink merino wool, comprising a jacket, a pair of trousers and a belt. Size: Medium. The jacket is lined with beige cotton. It has a front opening buttoned up close to the neck, a turn down collar fastened by a stainless-steel hook and eye, four front pockets embellished with white topstitching − two flap pockets above and two welt pockets below, shoulder pads and long sleeves with 3 buttonholes on the plackets. Sleeves are lined with regenerated cellulose fabric. This pair of trousers has two knee patches, a waistband with a button and loop fastening and a black metal zip on the front, two buttons and a loop on either side of the waist for adjustment, and two side seam pockets with cotton lining. The belt has white topstitching, two buttons, and a large stainless-steel hook on one end. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Credit line | Given by PRONOUNCE (Yushan Li and Jun Zhou) |
| Object history | This pink woollen man’s suit comes from PRONOUNCE Autumn/ Winter 2018 Menswear collection, first presented by GQ China at London Fashion Week in January 2018. |
| Summary | This pink men’s suit is a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional formal attire for men, known as the ‘Zhongshan suit.’ It is part of PRONOUNCE’s Autumn/Winter 2018 menswear collection, which was showcased at London Fashion Week in January 2018. PRONOUNCE is a Chinese fashion brand founded in 2016 by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou. The ‘Zhongshan suit’ is a two-piece tunic suit named after Dr Sun Zhongshan (also known as Sun Yat-sen), often referred to as the Father of the Republic of modern China (1912–1949). Dr Sun introduced this new style of clothing, inspired by Prussian military dress, as official attire for civil servants in the 1910s. The jacket features a fold-over collar and four flap-patch pockets, symbolising the Four Virtues: propriety, justice, honesty, and shame. Traditionally, the suit was made of grey wool, a material uncommon in Chinese clothing at the time. The minimalist design of the ‘Zhongshan suit’ continues to resonate with contemporary designers who view it as an enduring sartorial symbol for Chinese men. Yushan Li and Jun Zhou’s work reimagines this classic design while challenging traditional notions of gender. For this suit, they replaced the grey fabric of the original Zhongshan suit with pink, a colour often associated with femininity, to subvert masculine stereotypes and reflect a ‘gender-fluid generation.’ |
| Associated object | FE.54-2021 (Accessory) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.53:1 to 3-2021 |
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| Record created | October 22, 2019 |
| Record URL |
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