➖ C l l Λ R L E S L U ➖

@charles_lu steps into the light. 🎥 FACE EVERYTHING. @narsissist x @fashionarttoronto Photographer: @merzetti Creative Director: @Tess_morgann Videographer: @shaynegrayphotography Executive Producer: @_vanjavasic_ Producer: @mariamolch Lighting: @jdiego_del BTS photographers: @_kimiakordestani @fredabramov @asianwithcamera BTS: Socials: @mssmadmedia Makeup Artists: @yasirakhtarca Hair Stylists: @hairlovestudioinc @hairlovebymimi @aliyahshairlabb @thefreeartist_ Jewelry: @biko_official Production Assistants: @shirakarney @natalia.vassighi @yaseennn333 @locoditrooo Location: @astrolabstudios

14 YEARS. 36 LOOKS. THE ARCHIVE OPENS. | @FashionArtToronto x @Charles_Lu On May 25, 2026, I’ll be presenting a special retrospective with Fashion Art Toronto featuring selected works from 2012–2026. This presentation brings together archival garments, defining collections, newer work, and pieces never before shown in Canada. Some looks have remained unseen until now. From my earliest years as a designer to the work I create today, this retrospective traces the evolution of my world through tailoring, emotion, structure, and storytelling. LOCATION
The Iconic 3rd Floor of Former Hudson’s Bay & Saks Fifth Ave
176 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M5C 2LT 6:00PM | CHARLES LU | Presentation 7:00PM | CHARLES LU | Runway Tickets are now live. 
Use code: CHARLESLUSS26 for 20% off. Link in bio. #fashionweek #fashiondesigner #fashion #runway #style CAMPAIGN | Face EVERYTHING. @narsissist x @fashionarttoronto Talent + Designers: @charles_lu x @patricia_j Photographer: @merzetti Creative Director: @Tess_morgann Videographer: @shaynegrayphotography Executive Producer: @_vanjavasic_ Producer: @mariamolch Lighting: @jdiego_del BTS photographers: @_kimiakordestani @fredabramov @asianwithcamera BTS: Socials: @mssmadmedia Makeup Artists: @therealfrancinephillips @facesbynoah @kendallpackman @yasirakhtarca @beautyby_bala Hair Stylists: @hairlovestudioinc @hairlovebymimi @aliyahshairlabb @thefreeartist_ Jewelry: @biko_official Production Assistants: @shirakarney @natalia.vassighi @yaseennn333 @locoditrooo Location: @astrolabstudios

Charles Lu has entered the chat. See you at Fashion Week. May 25th | Performance + Runway Tix & Schedule online. @charles_lu / @charles___lu for @narsissist x @fashionarttoronto FACE EVERYTHING. Photographer: @merzetti Creative Director: @Tess_morgann Videographer: @shaynegrayphotography Executive Producer: @_vanjavasic_ Producer: @mariamolch Lighting: @jdiego_del BTS photographers: @_kimiakordestani @fredabramov @asianwithcamera BTS: Socials: @mssmadmedia MUA: @yasirakhtarca Production Assistants: @shirakarney @natalia.vassighi @yaseennn333 @locoditrooo Location: @astrolabstudios

FAT x The Kit | featuring CHARLES LU Yes this was shot back in January. Yes I’m posting winter content when it’s literally spring now but, just because a moment has passed doesn’t mean it still can’t be shared. Honoured to have been featured in The Kit article, “What to Wear Skiing, According to Three Canadian Designers,” written by Hillary LeBlanc, alongside Lindsay King (@lindsayking.co ) and Hilary MacMillan (@hilarymacmillan ) through @fashionarttoronto and @thekitca . Thank you Hillary for such a thoughtful feature and for highlighting Canadian fashion in such a beautiful way. In the article, I spoke about my love for monochrome dressing, layering textures, balancing utility with experimental silhouettes, and creating pieces that feel both functional and high fashion. I also shared how surreal and nostalgic it felt being at Horseshoe Valley Resort, so close to Barrie where my family roots are connected. And yes… the puffer is still warm enough to “live among the penguins” Thank you to Vanja Vasic and the entire FAT creative team for always supporting and championing Canadian fashion designers and artists, and to The Kit for creating space to celebrate Canadian creativity and design. Truly grateful to be part of the FAT family. PHOTO: @_kimiakordestani VIDEO: @adrikellerman WRITER: @hillaryleblancmedia LOCATION: @horseshoeresort @freedcorp CREATIVE TEAM: @_vanyavasic_ @glenbaxterto @locodritoo @tess_morgann @annikalautens MUA:@jessicacalleja.mua SOCIAL BTS: @mssmadmedia

It’s made of paper! | @sephoracanada x @charles_lu Shooting the Sephora look with my sister, Lisa (@krinkylee ) This iconic striped paper garment was designed specifically around Lisa’s (@kirnkylee ) measurements and movement, and she completely brought the energy, confidence, and edge this project needed. From the monochromatic styling to the Sephora Collection red lip, this shoot was about attitude, transformation, and having fun with fashion. Huge thank you to my sister for stepping outside her comfort zone and helping bring this vision to life. Refer to the original SEPHORA CANADA x CHARLES LU reel for the full concept, process, and final transformation. #sephoracanada #sephora #fashion #beauty #makeup

Iconic Paper Fashion | @sephoracanada x @charles_lu Inside the construction of the look. Over 100 hours, 70 Sephora shopping bags, thousands of hand cut fringes, and a full runway look built entirely from paper. Highlighting the sketching, draping, pattern drafting, construction, and textile manipulation process behind the garment from start to finish. Every strip was strategically cut, folded, fringed, and sewn individually to create movement, structure, and durability from an unconventional material. Refer to the original SEPHORA CANADA x CHARLES LU reel for the full story, transformation, and final reveal. #sephoracanada #sephora #fashion #beauty #makeup Could you serve in this striped paper couture look?

NOT FABRIC. STILL FASHION. SEPHORA CANADA featuring CHARLES LU (@charles___lu ) I turned the ICONIC STRIPED @sephoracanada shopping bags into an ICONIC STRIPED fashion runway look! Deconstructed paper, cut into horizontal panels and hand-fringed to create movement, texture, and structure. A cropped hoodie, corset bralette, and sculpted skirt all built from the unconventional. Fashion is ART. Sketch, drape, and final form. This takes the everyday and makes it runway. I started designing at 11 with unconventional materials and now I’m back and even more evolved. Younger me would have died for this collaboration. Are you ready for fashion’s biggest night? #ad #SephoraCanadaPartner #FashionIsArt #Fashion #Style CharlesLu -- TOUJOURS À LA MODE. MÊME SANS TISSUS. SEPHORA CANADA en collaboration avec CHARLES LU J’ai transformé les sacs blanc et noir EMBLÉMATIQUES de @sephoracanada en une tenue de défilé tout aussi ICONIQUE! Papier déconstruit, coupé en panneaux horizontaux et froncé à la main pour créer un mouvement, une texture et une structure. Un haut court à capuchon, un soutien-gorge corset, une jupe sculptée (et peut-être un sac à main), le tout en originalité. La mode, c’est de l’ART. Dessiner, draper et finaliser. Voilà comment donner une touche tendance au quotidien. J’ai commencé à créer à partir de matériaux non conventionnels dès l’âge de 11 ans. Je m’y remets, plus spécialisé que jamais. L’enfant en moi aurait tout fait pour cette collaboration. Êtes-vous prêt(e) pour la plus grande soirée mode de l’année?

This is not a collection. This is a love letter. PROJECT RUNWAY CANADA x CHARLES LU Episode 10: The Final Runway Placement: Top 3 Finalist Presenting my 10-look finale collection. Seeing it come to life on the runway, with my mother and father in the audience, was one of the most emotional moments of my life. I kept this collection hidden from them for 7 weeks. They had no idea what it looked like or what it was about. This was for them. The collection begins in black and gradually moves toward a soft white, tracing a shift from structure to softness. It opens with shorter silhouettes, grounded in control and restraint. By the third look, the story begins to unfold. References to Vietnam emerge through the shape of the ‘Áo Dài’, reinterpreted through my lens and merged with streetwear. Utility, tailoring, and ease exist together. The second look draws from my father’s workwear, while the seventh look translates my mother’s favourite flower, the orchid, into form. A pink and black look softens the tension, holding strength and tenderness at once. This collection started when I met my grandmother in April 2025. Finding her and speaking to her for the first time connected me to my roots in a way I had never experienced. That moment led me to my parents’ journey as Vietnamese refugees coming to Canada and the life they built through resilience and sacrifice. I set aside ego and designed from a place of truth. Every piece carries that intention. As the collection moves forward, it becomes lighter, softer, more vulnerable. It reflects my own evolution. This was not just about fashion. It was about family, identity, and honouring where I come from. Music By: TRACE (Trace Le) | Sài Gòn (produced by Ariel Loh, 2024) I used this track in my reel for a reason. Its melancholic reimagining speaks directly to the Vietnamese diaspora, reflecting memory, loss, and what it means to be part of the next generation carrying that history forward. Stream the latest episode of @ProjectRunwayCanada only on @CraveCanada . #projectrunwaycanada #projectrunway #fashiondesigner #vietnam #viet

Certified CHARLES LU moments. PROJECT RUNWAY CANADA x CHARLES LU Sew | Panic | Repeat Falling. Stitching. Overthinking. Locking in. Somehow… it always comes together. Stream @ProjectRunwayCanada only on @CraveCanada . #projectrunwaycanada #projectrunway #fashiondesigner

Last night at the @cafawards honoree dinner, I wore one of my favorite Canadian designers, @projectrunwaycanada alum @charles___lu ! I had a front row seat to his process while filming our show last year, and what he brings to the craft is truly special, precision, passion, and an obsession with detail that shows in every stitch. Proud to wear his work in a room celebrating the best of Canadian fashion!

Back in Canada with my boys, the three @projectrunwaycanada finalists who stole our hearts on the show. Beyond the undeniable talent, it’s the real friendship they built that I love most. So excited to be in Montreal with them this week for @cafawards to celebrate the best in Canadian fashion together! @wutheringdelight @charles___lu @leelandxo

8 challenges. 1 evolution. PROJECT RUNWAY CANADA x CHARLES LU Every week demanded more. I didn’t just show up, I adapted, refined, and evolved under pressure. Episode 1 | Denim (Première Challenge) “Right Off The Runway” First impression. Deconstructed denim. Structure. Establishing my design language. Episode 2 | L’Oréal Client Challenge “Walk Your Worth” Working with a client. Refining precision and pushing storytelling under pressure. Episode 3 | The Unconventional Future (Team Challenge) “Fit For the Future (Winner) A 2125 vision. UV foam, transparency, and movement through light. Episode 4 | The Joe Fresh Challenge (2 looks in 1) “Twice As Fresh” (Top 2) Joe Fresh transformation. Trench to sport tuxedo. Function meets versatility. Episode 5 | Cashmere Bathroom Tissue Challenge (Pairs → Duels) “Stronger Together” Bathroom tissue challenge. Tailoring, restraint, and “old money”. Episode 6 | Bata Shoe Museum Challenge “Step It Up” Designing from a shoe. Soft pastels, contrast, and proportion. Episode 7 | Giant Tiger Challenge “Dream Big on a Budget” Flannel reimagined. A revenge dress built from deconstruction. Episode 8 | The Final Challenge “Archive Edit” (Winner) Creative freedom. Streetwear meets couture. Fully me. Every challenge built something. Every look said something. Stream @ProjectRunwayCanada only on @CraveCanada . #projectrunwaycanada #projectrunway #fashiondesigner #fashion #fashionweek