This director is vindictive.

Chapter 551 Chrysanthemums Withered, Wounds Everywhere, Paper Money Scattered in the Funeral Home

If we consider the theme of "plum blossom" among the "Four Gentlemen" of Chinese culture—plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum—this show, designed from the perspective of foreign designers, has created a cultural characteristic that aligns with the noble connotations of "plum blossom" and Eastern aesthetics. It is truly admirable, showing care and sincerity.

However, no one expected that just when everyone was looking forward to this grand show of "Chinese elements in the eyes of foreign designers" because of the first round of "plum blossom" themed designs, they did not expect that they would reach their peak at the beginning, and then take a sharp turn for the worse.

When it came to the "orchid" theme, foreign designers directly interpreted "orchid in a secluded valley" as "jungle spirit," and then the style began to return to its original form.

How did it make a comeback? Naturally, it returned to the style of foreign fashion weeks that everyone is familiar with—the bizarre, outlandish style in the eyes of ordinary people.

If this could be attributed to Western filters leading to misunderstandings and cultural incompatibility among foreign designers, then the next "bamboo" design is truly an eyesore.

Bamboo actually has a very special meaning in the eyes of Chinese people.

Bamboo can be considered one of the most representative plants in Chinese culture. Its upright and resilient form has made it a symbol of integrity and strength. Although tall and straight, bamboo humbly bows its head, never flaunting its stature. This quality has made bamboo a symbol of humility and steadfastness in Chinese culture.

However, unlike the previous "Lan" series which was plagued by misunderstandings, this time, the other party didn't even bother to act anymore.

Good heavens, a green, walking bamboo pole ran onto the catwalk. This isn't just an eyesore; it's a complete manifestation of arrogance. It's just short of being mocked by the entire audience.

However, this is not the most eye-catching part.

Following the lush green walking bamboo poles, models soon appeared wrapped in patent leather patchwork "mecha bamboo tube skirts," with headdresses consisting of upside-down gold-plated golf clubs. The designer even provided an explanation, saying that the design "symbolizes bamboo growing taller and taller."

"Holy crap, why do I feel an irresistible urge to grab a golf club and take a shot?"

"What the hell is this about bamboo growing taller and taller? You might as well just plant a bamboo tree on your head!"

"Good heavens, good heavens! These foreigners have truly extraordinary insights. I'm impressed, completely impressed. This thing, the model just squats on the golf course and instantly becomes a rack for storing golf clubs, without any modifications."

When the grand finale—a design made of bamboo strips woven into a bikini top covered with fishnet stockings—made its appearance.
"This is the 'Four Gentlemen' series! Good heavens, even the Yiwu Small Commodities Market would shake its head in disapproval."

"Fine, I was really delusional to expect these foreign designers to understand traditional Chinese culture! This is ridiculous!"

The screen was instantly flooded with "???" and "Help me" comments.

"Did the designer mix up the bamboo forest scenes from 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Curse of the Golden Flower' while on drugs? Is this bamboo bikini meant for an assassin who slips through the net in a Zhang Yimou period drama?"

"The plum blossom series at the beginning is an old scholar who wandered onto the wrong set, while the orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum series at the end are all demons and monsters dancing in nightclubs!"

"Hilarious! The Four Gentlemen have turned into four torture instruments—the plum blossom is like ice-crack frostbite makeup, the orchid is like LED laser eyes, the bamboo is like a golf club headshot, and the chrysanthemum (after glancing at the chrysanthemum series that hasn't appeared yet) should offer incense to the chrysanthemums in advance."

"To be fair, the Mei series was pretty good, but the later parts were really..."

"What do you know! This is postmodern deconstructionism! I suggest equipping the models with chainsaws and staging a live performance of 'The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove vs. the Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' which would absolutely ignite Paris Fashion Week!"

But what is coming will come.

In fact, the team in charge of the show naturally saw the crazy comments on the screen, but since there was no surprise (tens of millions of people watching at the same time), they did not take any action. On the contrary, the number of viewers soared amid the comments and arguments, which made them feel that the show was still a success so far.

After all, it's a fashion show, it's all about concepts, so it's perfectly normal for people not to understand it.

Back to the show.

As the eye-catching "bamboo" series of models left the stage, a holographic projection in the center of the runway slowly displayed Tao Yuanming's poem: "Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I leisurely gaze at the Southern Mountains."

Chrysanthemums in the style of ink painting slowly bloom in the projection, elegant and pleasing.

The audience, having just experienced the nightclub vibe of the "Orchid" series and the nightmare of the "Bamboo" series golf clubs, held their breath, praying that the final round would salvage some face.

However, when the first model stepped onto the stage with powerful strides, the entire show fell silent instantly.

Many people had their mouths agape in an "O" shape.

Don't blame Chinese people for being ignorant; the main problem is that this design is just ridiculously exaggerated.

Even Chen Mo and his group were a bit dumbfounded. They could only say that it truly deserves to be called one of the world's most bizarre fashion weeks.

Actually, if you ignore the head, the model's outfit is quite okay. Her "chrysanthemum battle robe" is made of countless pieces of golden tulle, and when she walks, the skirt unfolds petal by petal like a chrysanthemum blooming—that's how it should be in theory.

In reality, the three layers of the skirt got stuck together, and the model had to pull them apart with her hands as she walked, giving the impression of a golden cicada pupa shedding its shell.

However, these are still within the "normal" range compared to the head!
Because this is no longer a human, but a "chrysanthemum spirit".

The model's head was completely replaced by a huge chrysanthemum, so the model had to be extremely careful when walking.

"What kind of chrysanthemum spirit is this?" someone in the audience muttered. "I've never seen anything like this before. What does this have to do with 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, gazing leisurely at the southern mountains'? Tao Yuanming must be turning in his grave!"

"No way? No way? Surely no one would actually wear clothes like that in public?"

"Hehe, you'll get used to it. I remember seeing the most bizarre show before, where someone's neck was directly clamped between their thighs. That's right, they were carrying someone on their back while walking the runway. So, compared to that, this is really restrained!"

However, this was just the beginning. When the second model appeared, her design was even more perplexing.

The bodysuit, made of completely transparent PVC material, was filled with dried chrysanthemum buds, which rustled as the model moved. Two huge foam chrysanthemums stood on the shoulders, swaying with the model's steps.

Chen Mo and the others who were watching the live stream of the show were all a bit speechless.

"Is this turning people into walking chrysanthemum tea bags?" Fan Binbin, standing next to Chen Mo, twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Jing Tian covered her eyes: "Does the designer think that when we Chinese drink tea, we just stuff a whole chrysanthemum into the cup?"

Viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.
[Chrysanthemum tea has truly come to life!]

Even Zhang Yimou would have to kneel before him!

[It is suggested that the title be changed to "Chrysanthemum of the Four Gentlemen: A Teahouse Horror"]

[How am I supposed to go to the bathroom wearing this? I need help urgently!]

[Your idea upstairs definitely resonates with the designer: what the hell is going to happen when you need to use the toilet?]

Just when everyone thought this was the limit, the third model gave everyone a shock.

She wore a sequined bodycon dress with gold foil chrysanthemum patterns on her key areas, and most outrageously, a two-meter-long "chrysanthemum vine"—made up of interconnected plastic chrysanthemums—draped behind her. When she reached the center of the runway, the vine got tangled in the light fixtures, forcing the model to spin around in place in an attempt to free herself, like a tethered golden grasshopper.

"Is this a performance of 'chrysanthemum bondage'?" one audience member couldn't help but complain.

"If this were a quirky show, I think it would definitely deserve full marks. This foreign designer is really something!"

"Who says otherwise? You can't even imagine how bizarre they can be!"

"Let me put it this way, this is absolutely the most amazing Chinese-themed show ever! I can hardly imagine a show that could 'distort' the Four Gentlemen of China more than this!"

Just then, the runway suddenly went dark, the blood-red lights casting a crimson glow like the setting sun, and the chorus of Jay Chou's "Chrysanthemum Terrace" blared from the speakers: "Chrysanthemums wither, wounds cover the ground, your smile has faded."

The finale featured an Asian model wearing a half-meter-high "broken chrysanthemum crown"—acrylic imitation chrysanthemum petals deliberately made withered and curled, falling off as the model walked, with backstage blowers scattering the petals all over the stage.
"Holy crap, why does this feel like a funeral parlor where paper money is being scattered?"

"Don't talk nonsense, this isn't a feeling, this is scattering paper money!"

"This is so abstract, even Jay Chou would be dumbfounded if he saw it, right?"

At this moment, Chen Mo didn't know if Jay Chou was dumbfounded, but he and the group of women were already dumbfounded.

To be honest, he had underestimated the nature of these overseas designers.

However, thinking about it now, it doesn't seem particularly strange. Although these bizarre designs may seem strange to everyone, in reality, all sorts of strange things are quite common at fashion weeks.

In Chen Mo's opinion, the designer had actually put a lot of thought into the costume design of the final model.

However, there's no way around it. Foreigners might have no problem learning Chinese, but they really can't grasp the nuances and nuances of classical Chinese poetry or songs.

However, these weren't the most crucial details. As the model moved, viewers noticed fluorescent yellow chrysanthemum patterns "splattered" on her transparent organza robe. The designer had also used an airbrush to create a "rotting effect" on the model's chest, with paint dripping down the fabric.
"Is this some kind of anal ulceration?"

"No problem, even if a chrysanthemum is withered and ulcerated, it's still withered!"

"Compared to the previous inexplicable things, I suddenly feel like I can actually understand this one?"

"The brainwaves finally match up, so this decay effect is the 'withered chrysanthemum' interpretation on paper?"

As the models walked to the front of the runway, real chrysanthemum potted plants were wrapped around their waists—but they were all wilted real flowers, with holes drilled in the bottom of the pots to let water leak out, leaving water stains mixed with soil where the models walked.
You know what, this part, at first glance, isn't actually as hard to understand as those previous bizarre designs.

Even netizens understood: "Is this interpreting the literal meaning of 'scars everywhere'?"

"Holy crap, that's rare, I understood it too!"

"This is amazing! I actually understood the designer's design concept. Have I reached that level yet? *laughs emoji*"

(End of this chapter)