MFA Parsons’ grad, [Rui Zhou](https://www.instagram.com/ruiofficial.me/), celebrated the success of her third collection during NYFW. The Fall/ Winter 2020 collection, “Adrift,” is symbolic of the designer’s travel between China and New York: “Sometimes I feel like I am roaming and wandering around a bubble-like outer space, it makes me anxious and confused. But I enjoy living this lifestyle, being adrift in the big city, being around people with a diverse background, culture, and temperament,” Rui states, “I am like a migratory bird.” In a post-fashion week interview, **_Flaunt_** spoke with Zhou discussing her recent collection, Zen Buddhism and Wabi-Sabi interests, and the study of space between a human and garment.
**_Growing up, you were influenced by Zen Buddhism and the Wabi-Sabi Japanese aesthetic. How do you apply those philosophies in your work and this collection, especially?_**
I think philosophies is a kind of world view rather than a methodology, so it's really hard to disassemble which parts are connected with Wabi-sabi and which parts are connected by Zen... We embrace life and the all differences in between.
**_What inspired the name of the collection, “Adrift?”_**
The name was decided by accident. Last year, I saw a very mini student architecture exhibition with my family in Guangzhou, their title is "Adrift". I've been traveling between China and New York a lot in the last few years. I feel I am like a migratory bird, it makes me anxious and confused. But I enjoy this lifestyle, young people adrift in the big city, people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, temperaments, and ages all coming together.
**_What informed the neutral color pallet for this collection?_**
In my eyes, the soft, pastel and natural texture can re-create the feeling of wandering.
**_Having studied the space between skin and garment, what have you learned?_**
I’m still learning!
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Photography by: Carolyne Loreé
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