Chet Lo on his durian-inspired collab with Charles & Keith: the Asian-American designer and Singaporean brand’s Gen Z, TikTok-friendly spring 2024 accessories collection follows their LFW tie-up

Jan 8 , 2024

Having launched his eponymous knitwear label during the pandemic, Chet Lo’s durian-inspired tie-up with Charles & Keith marks the designer’s first foray into accessories. Photos: Handout

A quirky collection of headbands, handbags and shoes by Chet Lo for Charles & Keith reinterprets the designer’s signature durian-inspired spike motif, which first drew attention during the pandemic

The Asian-American designer enjoyed working on a larger scale and gaining customer insights from the Singaporean fashion house, following a previous collaboration for London Fashion Week

When collaborations in fashion are a dime a dozen, only the most organic ones manage to strike gold. “I live on TikTok,” laughs Chet Lo, the inimitable Asian-American designer based out of London, as he sits down to talk about his new Gen Z-esque collection with accessories giant Charles & Keith – and what inspired it.

Designer Chet Lo with American actress and TV personality Lisa Rinna at the Fashion Awards in London, in December 2023. Rinna wears a custom Chet Lo spiked hooded gown and the Chet Lo x Charles & Keith patent spike-heel slingback wedges

Hitting the sweet spot between trendy and quirky, Lo’s collection of headbands, purses and shoes for Charles & Keith draws on the signature spike designs that first caught the attention of young fashionistas everywhere when he launched his eponymous brand during the pandemic. “It was all inspired by the durian, which I hate,” Lo smiles. “But inherently, it’s such an Asian fruit. My mum loves it. I hate the stink of it, but I think it is culturally so important.”

Chet Lo’s signature spike designs, inspired by the durian fruit, are back – this time applied to headbands, among other accessories

As a designer who specialises in knitwear, Lo’s latest tie-up with Charles & Keith marks his first go at creating accessories. But the challenge of it all is exactly what excites him. “That’s why I wanted to touch on durian with our knits and textiles,” says Lo, who was initially drawn to the fruit as inspiration thanks to its complicated texture. “It’s technically really difficult. And I loved figuring out the mechanics behind it. It was very interesting, and it felt kind of futuristic at the same time.”

Lo likens his spikes to armour, which appears one way on the outside but completely differently on the inside. This cheeky duality seems key to both his ethos as a designer and his exuberant personality. “I have seen spikes every single day of my life for four years,” he adds wryly.

Heels from the Charles & Keith collection feature spikes as their central design element

Far from scrambling for other ideas to keep his audiences interested, Lo isn’t worried about being pigeonholed. “If it helps you get your foot through the door, that’s fine, right?” he says. As Lo’s collaboration with Charles & Keith shows, remixing and recycling the same design element can still preserve the element of surprise. “I have a lot more to offer,” he says. “We introduce new techniques and new ideas every season, and then let the spikes be their own thing.”

Chet Lo muse Leigh Anne Pinnock of British girl group Little Mix models the Chet Lo x Charles & Keith spike textured metallic-handle bag in red

This also isn’t Lo’s first rodeo with Charles & Keith – the brand provided the accessories for the designer’s shows at London Fashion Week in previous seasons – but Lo is excited to show off a different side of his signature style by drawing on the massive retailer’s wealth of consumer knowledge. While he acknowledges that the two brands could not be more different – one small and independent, the other present around the world – he recognises the privilege of being an Asian-American designer working with a proudly Asian brand.