Meet Yueqi Qi – a Chinese designer brand revitalizing the Y2K look with a futuristic twist and high fashion flair. Yueqi Qi reinterprets early的现象 silhouettes (think baggy pants, chunky boots, and cropped tops) by dialing them up with a whirlwind of washed-out patterns and elaborate accessories. The result is playful and bold, defined by electric hues and holographic shine. It’s a nostalgic nod to the turn of the millennium, channeling grainy VHS tapes, fuzzy TV static, and high-saturation color palettes that feel dreamy and distorted in the best way possible.

But Yueqi Qi doesn’t stop at retro. Her work also embraces futuristic aesthetics, with designs layering liquid-metal finishes, asymmetry, and clean-cut tailoring. Yueqi Qi brings a retro-futurism vision that balances sustainability, everyday wearability, and luxury.

Qi launched her namesake label in 2019, after graduating with a degree in knitwear from Central Saint Martins at the University of the Arts London. Her work captures the ebb and flow of natural motion, with sculptural qualities incorporated into her headpieces and jewelry. Using techniques like beading, crocheting, lacing, and PET sculpting, Qi constructs a pixelated texture that transports you straight back to the early dotcom era’s glitchy charm.

In March, Yueqi Qi unveiled its Autumn/Winter “PERSONA” collection – a collision between streetwear and luxury, signed off with a Y2K attitude. Laced tights, short skirts, and fur items in muted colors and occasional neon accents are all elevated for a classier version of the Tumblr scene-kid look.

The collection features a collaboration with UGG, where chunky platform boots are reimagined in a caligae style. For a blend of tech and fashion, the collection also featured innovation from Apple. Yueqi Qi transformed the AirPods Max into runway headpieces, incorporating crocheting and their signature love petals – where the Chinese character for “love” (爱) is laser-cut into plastic heart pieces.

Sustainability has been central to Yueqi Qi’s vision from the start. For the Autumn/Winter 2024 collection, Yueqi Qi invited customers to donate garments, which were upcycled into stage items. The collection, titled “Machines of Loving Grace,” fully embraces the digital age while celebrating organic beauty, with floral motifs and earthy tones.

The lineup imagines a “group of reluctant heroines banding together to fight back against the digital Moloch. It is a journey back to nature, lit with smartphones.” Yueqi Qi’s retroism isn’t about rejecting tech, but rather highlighting the need for coexistence.

The collection features low-cut bottoms and fitted tops, creating a visual spotlight on the midriff. Colorful earphones are repurposed and woven into skirt frills, jackets, mini capes, and dresses, made to resemble blooming flowers and twisting vines. Yueqi Qi’s chained love petal accessories mimic the drop shadow and faux-3D effects of early web design, while the beadwork brings forward a low-res techno buzz, all reinterpreted into wearable art.

Yueqi Qi has since caught the attention of global stars, from BLACKPINK’s Lisa for Coachella 2023, to the J-pop girl group XG, and Leah Dou for The Ballroom magazine. The brand continuously challenges the mixture of futurism and nostalgia, without leaving eco-friendliness behind. Yueqi Qi is, without question, among China’s most exciting young designers to watch.

Check out Yueqi Qi’s Spring/Summer 2025 show in Tokyo to see some of the pieces referenced above in action.

 All images via Yueqi Qi.