Here are the first campaign images released by Shanghai Tang for their Spring-Summer 2012 collection. Starring high-profile, easy-on-the-eye model-actors Hu Bing and Lin Chiling, the “Rite of the Phoenix” campaign hints at rebirth and evolution seen through the modern Chinese lens.

In the second collaborative project between the House and photog maestro Chen Man, the campaign showcases next season’s best looks by weaving together a bittersweet love story between the two leads that can also be seen as a narrative of China’s history itself.

Lin Chiling

Take it from the brand ambassador herself: Chiling says that the collection gave her “a sense of warmth and the joy of Spring. It also symbolises a woman’s growth, change, and re-birth. I love the lotus print in particular as the flower represents happiness.”

Hu Bing

As for the pieces themselves, the women’s collection takes inspiration from the sense of freedom of soaring creatures both natural and mythical. The Lion Ikat print (below), for instance, is a deconstructed take on the traditional Chinese flying being, often depicted as playing among stylized clouds. Shanghai Tang‘s interpretation is deliberately cloudy, with the muted, pastel print taking on a dreamy, watercolor effect.

“Lion Ikat” printed silk cotton Qipao, “Knot” waist belt and “Feather Quilt” Mongolian hobo

For the gents, Shanghai Tang has adopted a back-to-basics approach in a neutral palette, interspersed with striking symbols of strength and prosperity. Materials are light and airy, but touches of flamboyant opulence in the form of dragon-printed kerchiefs and pochettes (below) add a dash of exuberant verve to the looks.

Cotton linen jacket with “Dragon” printed pochette, cotton shirt with white trim and cotton Fil-a-Fil suit pants

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