Rihanna, Doja Kat, Madonna love his clothes: Sensen Li, a Chinese fashion designer, works with Alien Look, Beats by Dre and is a fan of Britney Spears

It was a performance with a capital P. And to say it played in the room is an understatement; At times, it was difficult to tell the models from the guests.

The world of Chinese designers is all about fetishes, fantasy and experimentation. The final look of the show was a hot pink padded suit – the ultimate space armour, and worn by our Master of Ceremonies on the night.

The models wore crystal-embellished headphones (a snazzy collaboration with Beats by Dre, no less). The crossover with the Apple-owned company shows that the avant-garde is more than meets the eye for Li.

Li, who founded Windowsen in 2019, is proud to be the first Chinese designer to work with Beats by Dre, saying it’s something he “never imagined”.

“I think creativity is our common language,” he says. Being Chinese is only part of it – their work is usually not based on their heritage.

“To me, these chunky glitter over-ear beats encapsulate the joy of using music in public spaces and creating your own world,” she tells the Post.

“I hope I find them here in the subway soon,” she adds.

Like a growing number of his contemporaries, Li splits his time between Paris and Shanghai, moving to the European fashion capital in January 2024 to supercharge his two fashion lines: ready-to-wear and couture.

“I just got my apartment. I checked over 12 different places. Everything moves very slowly here compared to China,” he laughs.

Lee’s average day is, by his own admission, chaotic. His first task when he wakes up is to “answer all phone messages”, then it starts right off as he researches and gets stuck into the collection of the future.

This season she has been incredibly busy meeting buyers and press. And there are plenty on the way as his star rises.

The label’s looks have caught the eye of celebrities including Rihanna, Doja Kate and Madonna.

Spiegel admires Li’s free-thinking and collaborative creative mind. “There is this fearless embrace of sensen and its Chinese contemporary context. It makes me feel like I’m floating in this endless camera scroll of the phone or the (Instagram-like) Xiaohongshu page,” she says.

According to Bohan Qiu, founder of creative, PR and brand consultancy Boh Project, Windowsen’s presentation of Chinese fashion is due to his ability to merge elements from the many subcultures that a contemporary Chinese person experiences.

“From drag culture, queer culture and anime to cyberpunk underground music, post-internet, pop culture, Sensen can always bring together its true community from around the world, not just limited to China. And I think that’s (why) his brand really appeals to a global audience,” says Qiu.

“I wouldn’t call (my vision) outrageous,” says Lee. “But I have a bigger concept. It’s more like I’m developing this Windows universe. (This showcase) is more like ‘Shakespeare X’ kill the bill‘ The narrative for me, which is very unique and I’ve taken elements that I think should be in this universe.

For those brave enough to take the plunge, it’s an exciting one and open to everyone: diversity is a big brand pillar for Li.

Windowsen puts out open casting calls for models on social media, which is pretty unexpected for an average fashion week show.

“When we do that we get thousands of bios and we’re so grateful. We welcome anyone who is in sync with our style,” he says.

Looking ahead, Lee says: “I think now that I’m here, I need a reboot like a robot. Shanghai has inspired me a lot in the last three years but now that I’m here, I need to move forward with these new ideas.

The first is getting up to date with his self-proclaimed “messy” flat. He is in the process of sending his collection to Paris.

“You think there is nothing not Challenging in this city?” he asks, tongue in cheek. It’s certainly nothing a daring designer can’t handle.