Tennis-inspired pleasure devices appeared on the London Fashion Week catwalk at Ray Chu's 'Fans Only Club' show, and the audience got a collection brave enough to play. Hong Kong sexual-wellness brand Hello Nancy sponsored the Spring/Summer 2027 presentation, with its Ace and Smash toys styled into selected looks.
Behind the wink sits serious craft. Upcycled Swarovski crystals, natural-fibre fabrics and a Taiwanese flower at the heart of the story show that responsible fashion can be sensual, joyful and unapologetically fun.
What Inspired Ray Chu's 'Fans Only Club'?
Taiwan-founded designer Ray Chu built the collection around Sambucus, known locally as 冇骨消, whose tiny white blossoms bloom in cloud-like clusters. Chu says the flower 'does not need to be loud to be noticed', and that idea of quiet strength found in community runs through every silhouette.
The blossom appears as a scattered print on a sheer powder-blue dress and as a botanical graphic on a crisp white tee. Beside it sits the Taiwan Banana Club print, a nostalgic and colourful celebration of Taiwanese culture, with cheeky slogans such as 'Ripe for Attention' adding humour to the heritage story.
The 'Fans Only Club' slogan itself turns up in red lettering on a swimsuit, a short-sleeved shirt and matching shorts, each paired with a vintage-style Sambucus illustration. Elsewhere, a denim jacket and jeans with curved seams and contrast white stitching show the label's tailoring instincts working in a relaxed, everyday fabric.
Sustainable Materials and Swarovski ReCreated Crystals
Material innovation is where the collection shines. Lightweight mint-fibre shirting brings breathability and softness, while quick-drying Icy Grass jersey adds technical comfort to everyday dressing. The collection predominantly uses natural-fibre-based or environmentally conscious fabrics, continuing Chu's exploration of more responsible approaches to material, function and longevity.
Swarovski ReCreated crystals bring the sparkle. Made from crystal manufacturing breakage, they give salvaged material a second life and are applied in delicate formations that evoke water droplets and the natural clustering of the Sambucus flower. It is a circular approach to embellishment, and it looks glorious on a tailored powder-blue set.
Sexual Wellness Meets Runway Fashion
The sexual wellness partnership gives the show its cheeky edge. Hello Nancy is known for colourful, fruit-inspired products and an irreverent approach to intimacy and self-expression, which sits naturally alongside Chu's banana universe. Its Tennis Collection, launched with Ace and Smash as the brand's cheeky 'doubles partners', brought a lightness that moves between refined everyday dressing and statement pieces.
Japanese artist MOMOJIRI WORKS adds a sculptural layer. Their playful wearable art turns Sambucus into twisting lines and unexpected proportions that sit between jewellery, object and sculpture. The silver botanical accessories in the lookbook images, from an arm cuff to spiralling leg wraps, set off the pinstripe and pale blue tailoring beautifully.
Ray Chu has put sensuality, heritage and responsibility on one rail and made them look like natural companions. With gender-fluid tailoring designed to move across bodies, identities and occasions, 'Fans Only Club' signals that the label's next chapter will be as bold as it is considered, and, as Chu puts it, built on the courage to grow in your own way.
