Han Chong is always plotting something. In the short space of just three months, the designer has—deep breath—released a 35-look Resort collection; staged the most extravagant of his annual summer parties at the Roof Gardens in Kensington; opened a marble-and-steel flagship in the center of Bangkok; and welcomed Christopher Kane as Self-Portrait’s first designer-in-residence, (back in 2021, he also lifted Roland Mouret’s brand out of administration). Even despite the implosion of Matchesfashion—the British e-commerce giant once sold significant quantities of Self-Portait’s flirtatious cocktail pieces—business continues to bloom and boom.
“We now have 70-something physical stores in different territories,” Chong said at a preview of his spring collection in his sprawling east London studio. “Which means I need to think of Self-Portrait as more of a lifestyle brand.” There’s only so many occasion dresses that one person needs, and so this season, the designer focused on building a versatile, daytime wardrobe to keep all those shop doors revolving. Cropped nylon windbreakers, drawstring canvas jackets, barrel-legged jeans, and button-down skirts in cream denim were about as practical as Self-Portrait gets. Elsewhere, knitted polo shirts, collared cardigans, and oversized woolen blazers bearing crystalline pinstripes looked office-appropriate until styled with sheer skirts and suede hot pants. Lace shifts were designed to be worn over sensible camisoles or holiday bikinis. “What do they call it?,” Chong said. “Cost-per-wear?”
But glamour will always (always) trump pragmatism. The designer was at his most animated when speaking about the construction on a rhinestone mesh column with swooping back cut-outs. See also: the bias-cut silk dresses with floral appliqués and the bonded crepe minis that felt sturdier than the sum of their parts. “The Self-Portrait girl used to put more effort into going out, but she prefers to chill with her friends these days and so the collection is less serious as a result. It’s not over-done,” he added. Kane’s soon-to-be-released line of partywear twinkled from a distant rail. “I’m not sure who we’ll invite into the studio next,” Chong said. “Sabrina Carpenter? Imagine a Self-Portrait song of the summer.”