As the doors to Alexander King Chen’s solo show swung open, guests were immersed in a sea of green light. Looming projections of a castle stretched across every wall of the 10,000-square-foot venue. The eerie glow, paired with the haunting music of Taiwanese singer Jilliyeah, transformed the room into an otherworldly realm.
When it comes to pulling off a show, there’s no one like King Chen, who is committed to transforming his venues into a world of surprises that goes beyond the confines of high fashion. Hosted on Saturday in Hell’s Kitchen, King Chen’s solo show “Are You In Heaven?” was a personal motif for the greater narratives of life and death, bringing forth emotional reflections of identity, self-discovery and acceptance. The show was more than just a runway — it was a theatrical spectacle meant to be felt as a gallery show, where viewers can feel immersed in the stage and its stories.
Instead of the traditional T-shaped runway, King Chen, in just 15 minutes, designed the runway to allow the models to walk around the space in a clockwise motion, pausing at intervals with almost dance-like movements.
Before the show began, a brief statement echoed through the speakers, introducing the show’s theme: the duality of good and evil, and the reckoning that comes with confronting both. The models transcended their traditional roles to become performers on a theater stage, expressing their own interpretations of the collection’s meaning.
“They come to light, they reach — they’re performing,” King Chen said in an interview with WSN. “Our collection is not just the clothes — it’s the performers, it’s the visuals, it’s the makeup, it’s everything.”
The clothes themselves began with long draping black fabrics that swept the floor elegantly, a meticulous technique King Chen described as having taken up to 12-15 yards of fabric per dress. The collection contained everything from fierce leather to airy, transparent black fabric and silky polyester skirts. Some fabrics resembled flowers, while others adopted a more uniform and sharp exterior, creating an air of aggression and reflecting the tension between light and dark personas.
The room then burst into a radiant white display, heaven-like in its glow, signaling the start of the collection’s second act. Here, the models wore all-white garments — some pieces were gentle and delicate in nature, while others were more outwardly piercing and loud.
The show ended with two models — one dressed in black and the other in white — who met each other amid the vast space and embraced in a calm reunion, finding peace and accepting their opposing identities.
The moment felt emblematic of King Chen’s own journey of self-discovery. The collection can be viewed as a letter to his parents, who passed away several years ago — an attempt to reach out to them while battling inner fights of what is good and evil. It was a way for King Chen to turn something negative into a positive, while exploring the complexities of humanity.
“I’m just constantly thinking about heaven and hell and what it is,” King Chen said. “Where are [my parents]? How are they doing? I miss them so much, and I want to tell them that I miss them in a way, and that I’m good, I’m happy. I hope they are happy.”
The fashion show closed with heartfelt praise for the designer and a final performance from Jilliyeah. For King Chen, the heart of his show lies in staying true to himself — creating art alongside fellow creatives and finding joy in the process. That spirit of authenticity and playfulness is his peace.
“It’s okay to have a little good, a little evil, as long as we know to make it work together for the better,” he said.
Contact Mariana Arboleda at [email protected].