There are designers who chase trends, and then there are those who quietly reshape them. Grace Fu (Xuan Fu), the creative force behind Studio Oblivion, belongs decisively to the latter. With the debut of her new collection ‘Ethereal Threads,’ Fu invites us into a sensuous, silent world—one defined not by the noise of fashion weeks or front rows, but by the intimacy of fabric, the slowness of hand embroidery, and the tactile poetry of loungewear.
Studio Oblivion, her personal brand, arrives not with fanfare but with focus. The name whispers rather than shouts, much like Fu’s aesthetic. At its heart lies an intentional stillness—a devotion to craft that transforms the private act of dressing into something spiritual. ‘Ethereal Threads’ is more than a collection. It’s a meditation. On softness. On form. On the feminine body, unguarded.
A Breakthrough Before the Quiet
It’s a striking counterpoint to her previous project, ‘Disintegration of Women,’ which explored fragmentation, constraint, and resilience through sculptural silhouettes and raw textile language. That collection marked a breakthrough moment for Fu as an independent designer—featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and L’Officiel, and widely praised for its conceptual depth and innovative construction. If ‘Disintegration of Women,’ examined the rupture, ‘Ethereal Threads’ is the quiet process of mending.
Before this moment of stillness arrived, Fu had already carved out a name for herself in some of the fashion world’s most exacting creative environments. A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, she honed her craft at ALIX NYC, LVMH and Fleur du Mal—brands where her fascination with minimalist sensuality and architectural form first found expression.
Precision Meets Emotion
But it was her work at Alexander Wang and KITH that cemented her reputation as a designer equally fluent in innovation and discipline. At Alexander Wang, where she joined as a Technical Designer in 2023, Fu went beyond the constraints of her title. Her experiments with wash treatments, genderless silhouettes, and structural rebalancing injected new energy into the brand’s collections. Her contributions didn’t shout, but they resonated—subtly recalibrating the brand’s aesthetic tone.
In May 2024, Fu transitioned to KITH, this time to reshape menswear. Within months, her impact was palpable. She redefined the house’s approach to suiting, introducing techniques that emphasized motion, contrast, and elevated minimalism. Internally, her work was quickly recognized as a driving force behind KITH’s evolving design language—an influence that helped push the brand’s creative direction into new territory. Her designs struck a rare balance: deeply wearable yet quietly daring, revealing a new vocabulary for contemporary menswear. Fu continues to lead design efforts at KITH, where her vision remains central to the brand’s ongoing evolution.
An Intimate Vision Takes Form
And yet, as she built success in fast-paced, commercially driven environments, Fu was quietly nurturing something more personal—an ethos grounded in touch, tradition, and textile. Studio Oblivion is the realization of that inner design world, brought to life with patience and precision.
The brand doesn’t seek to impress so much as to invite. It speaks to a particular kind of wearer: someone who understands that luxury can be soft, that sensuality doesn’t need to be loud. Ethereal Threads is full of gestures rather than statements. A scalloped lace hem. A raw silk tie cinched loosely at the waist. A robe that catches the light but never begs for it.
Even the setting of the collection’s editorial shoot reveals something about Fu’s artistic language. She chose the Marlton Hotel in Greenwich Village—a space dense with literary ghosts and understated glamour. Natural light flooded the silk. The embroidery shimmered like breath. The styling leaned into 1990s nostalgia, with tousled hair and smoky eyes—evoking a mood rather than dictating a look.
Not Loud. Not Showy. Just Unforgettable.
Studio Oblivion isn’t simply about garments. It’s about pacing. Listening. Feeling. It offers a vocabulary for those who don’t wish to shout but still want to be heard. In a culture that glorifies speed, spectacle, and novelty, Fu’s work offers a radically different experience: time, care, and intentionality woven into every stitch.
There’s no doubt that Grace Fu could continue her ascent through the traditional corridors of luxury fashion. But what makes her path compelling is that she’s chosen to pause, to listen inward, and to design from a place of personal resonance rather than external demand.
What she’s created with Ethereal Threads is not just a product of fashion, but of philosophy. A quiet one, yes—but no less powerful. In Fu’s world, sensuality is a private experience. It doesn’t need a billboard to be seen. It’s in the drape, the seam, the hush between stitches.
And with Studio Oblivion, Grace Fu has carved a new space for that kind of beauty. Not loud. Not showy. Just unforgettable.
