Onto The Playground

Wearing: Theory trench coat | PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI Ari crystal-embellished gingham shirt | ISABEL MARANT Kelan Prince of Wales-checked trousers | Stella McCartney loafer pumps

In the numerous revivals and declines of the plain old gingham and plaids that evidently references to my childhood, playgrounds from the same period stand still.

As a socially significant (though personally slightly underserved) infrastructure, playgrounds enjoyed a much more stable, minimalist outlook over the years. Slides, swings, sand pools, water areas – just to name a few – don’t seem to entail an update.

Discussing “how” play is important to children is more meaningful than asking “why”. There imbues intricate experiences of art, architecture, creativity, control, socialization for the kids and urban planning and education for the adults.

Michele Norsa, chief executive of Salvatore Ferragamo, has once noted that “China has a desperate need of the past. It is really important to them to find something that is authentic — they want to go back to original roots”.

As much as I’m humbled by the delicate balance between the heritage and modern presence of the fashion industry, being a Chinese native millennial, I’m with him. This digitally savvy generation appreciates history and memories just like anyone else.

Nowness is a mix of heritage and the present. And I think stepping onto the playground in a reinvented gingham shirt is better than any of the two alone.