Tia Lee (Lee Yu Fen), a global C-pop singer and fashion icon, made waves at the London Fashion Week (LFW) on Sunday (19 Feb) as she arrived at Julien Macdonald’s Fall-Winter 2023 (FW23) show in a stunning one-of-its-kind couture dress and cape, specially hand-picked by the leading British fashion ace himself. Tia’s outfit was then later presented to the world for the first time as part of Julien Macdonald’s FW23 collection show.
Tia was specially selected by Julien Macdonald as the only celebrity to be dressed in a Julien Macdonald couture prior to it being presented for the first time in the Julien Macdonald FW23 collection show. Traditionally, the Sunday evening shows during the London Fashion Week are one of the most anticipated shows, of which this prime time slot was given to the Julien Macdonald FW23 collection show.
Tia Lee in a tailored lace slip dress and flowing black chiffon cape, exclusively handpicked from Julien Macdonald’s FW23 collection
The breath-taking and delicately tailored couture dress designed by Julien Macdonald for the new FW23 collection was hand-embroidered with crystals. Together with a flowing cape, a pair of glittering heels from Gina and Jessica McCormack jewellery, Tia’s glamourous look outlined a feminine silhouette that celebrates endless female strength and empowerment.
Tia was amongst the exclusive international of A-list celebrities who covet Julien Macdonald’s work to be dressed by the King of Glamour, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Naomi Campbell.On arrival to the Julien Macdonald fashion showcase, Tia was seen in the FROW amongst international A-list celebrities and fashion icons where Julien Macdonald’s FW23 collection was unveiled.
Julien Macdonald was appointed by Karl Lagerfeld as the head designer of knitwear at Chanel at very young age and later in 2001 was appointed as successor to Alexander McQueen as the creative director of the French fashion house Givenchy. He launched his own label in 1997 and swiftly became a leading British fashion designer.
Julien received various awards including British Designer of the Year at the Elle Style Awards in 2001, British Glamour’s Designer of the Year and GQ ‘s Womenswear Designer of the year in 2003. He was also nominated at the Olivier awards and awarded an order of the British empire (OBE) in 2004 for his services to the fashion industry.
In addition to the Julien Macdonald FW23 collection show, Tia was also invited to a number of top-notch brand showcases of London Fashion Week, such as David Koma, Richard Quinn, Moncler Genius and the ES & Perfect Magazine fashion bash - joining actress Joan Collins, TV presenter Ashley Graham, supermodel Sara Sampaio, British Vogue’s editor in chief Edward Enninful, singers Alicia Keys, Ronan Keating, Pharrell Williams, socialite Lennon Gallagher and many others. As a front row celebrity at the shows amongst other A-listers, Tia’s appearance at London Fashion Week is testament to her stature in the fashion scene as a style icon.
In an embroidered coat from his Spring 2023 collection, Tia was spotted alongside supermodel Sara Sampaio, TV presenter Ashley Graham enjoying front row views of Richard Quinn’s latest reveal. Her elegant outfit was further elevated with a teardrop-shaped headpiece from Victoria Grant, suede platform sandals from Jimmy Choo and pearl earrings from Theo Fennel.
Tia attended the David Koma FW2023 runway show, her first appearance at London Fashion Week this year.
A nod to David Koma’s signature body-contouring statement pieces, Tia arrived in a shimmering silver two-piece suit over bomber and boots from his collection.? Amina Muaddi's stunning Diamond Chain earrings added shine to Tia's outfit, while Noir Sleek Sunglasses from Gentle Monster were the ultimate statement accessory to finish her look.
Tia was also present at David Koma’s invitation only exclusive after party, enjoying the night with David Koma himself, in celebration of the success of the collection’s reveal.
Just as styles come and go and clothing evolves, Tia has taken on a metamorphosis of epic proportions from a highly scrutinized artist into a strong independent woman, ready to take on the world.
“Goodbye Princess” pays homage to the struggles of life, but ultimately showcases Tia’s determination to rise from the negativity, stereotypes and bias being placed on her. In fact, it is even more iconic because the track is the first ever Chinese song produced by Grammy-Award-winning producer Swizz Beatz, who has previously worked on mega-hits with music icons such as Justin Bieber, Jay-Z and Madonna.
In the spirit of female empowerment, Tia launched the #EmpowerHer campaign, and she has used her song as a vehicle to spread awareness for women-centric charities to further their missions. Some of the charities include Beats By Girlz and Women in Music in the United States, Daughters Of Tomorrow in Singapore and Teen’s Key in Hong Kong, all of which are committed to supporting women and girls around the world. One of the highlights was the #EmpowerHerDance challenge, where 16 KOLs across 15 geographies in the world have led the charge in this dance challenge to gain the attention of more than 158m followers globally, to support and empower fellow females. The infectious beat of the song also saw top Grammy-Award-winning female DJ duo NERVO coming onboard in support of the #EmpowerHerMusic campaign, creating an electrifying remix of the record-breaking Goodbye Princess. Together, these female powerhouses around the world have pushed the song to great heights, enabling Tia to become the fastest artist to break 100M views on YouTube with a Chinese pop song.
With an empowered mission and vision, redefining her career as a musician and fashion icon, Tia is stepping out of her comfort zone and saying goodbye to her past self.
Official press materials:
Tia Lee at Julien Macdonald FW23 show https://youtu.be/EfWv7FOcUaI
Tia Lee at Richard Quinn FW23 show https://youtu.be/hEwaMvRFXeI
Tia Lee at David Koma FW23 show https://youtu.be/YorrDVjmYFQ