CHARLES & KEITH x YVMIN: Summer, Distilled Into Desire

What happens when minimalism flirts with whimsy, and sculpture meets style? CHARLES & KEITH’s latest creative collision with experimental Beijing jewellery label YVMIN gives us the answer — a limited-edition capsule where ripe fruit becomes metaphor, memory, and muse.

This isn't your average seasonal drop. It's a full-sensory plunge into the sweetness, sharpness, and symbolism of summer fruit — the kind that leaves stains on your fingers and imprints on your heart. Think accessories and silhouettes that whisper of long, golden afternoons and moments of becoming, where girlhood teeters into womanhood in the most unexpected, expressive ways.

At the core of this capsule? A poetic fascination with transformation. “I was drawn to the image of a fruit, suspended delicately on a branch—wrapped, waiting, and on the cusp of release,” shares YVMIN designer Zhang Xiaoyu. “It’s that fragile moment before ripeness surrenders to gravity. When it lets go, it is not merely falling, but reaching out, hoping to be caught, like finding a connection with someone in an unexpected, meaningful way.”

This metaphor pulses through every detail: five sculptural fruit charms, a slouchy knotted bag in mint sorbet, and vine-strap sandals in silver and lime. Together, they reinterpret the journey from seed to ripeness as one of self-expression — deeply personal, tactile, and brimming with colour. The collection threads CHARLES & KEITH’s clean lines with YVMIN’s fondness for deconstruction, balancing edge with elegance.

Each glossy charm is more than an accessory — it's an invitation to play. Clip them onto your bag, loop them through your hair, wear them as earrings, pendants, or layered onto your shoes. There’s a breeze-through-spring green apple, a candy-glazed red apple, a gummy-sweet strawberry, sunlit grapes, and cherries with cheeky bear motifs. All charm, no cliché — these pieces are designed to be worn your way.

The Ally bag? Slouchy perfection that finds structure in chaos. The sandals? A fusion of fluid femininity and statement simplicity. It’s all curated, but never too precious — like styling yourself straight from a dreamscape where everything glows a little brighter.

Even the packaging doesn’t shy away from the theatrical. A bold, hand-painted apple bursts across the box like an exhale of colour, while a green mesh pouch cradles the accessories inside like fruit nestled among leaves — an experience designed to awaken that deep summer nostalgia.

To launch it all, CHARLES & KEITH went big — and immersive. From 1 to 11 May 2025, the West Bund Dream Center in Shanghai transformed into a vibrant pop-up playground. Curated pairings, limited-edition exclusives, and giveaways that include themed phone charms, fruit-inspired nail art stickers, and tiny collectibles were enjoyed by every visitor. It’s the kind of launch that lingers long after you leave — much like the collection itself.

The YVMIN x CHARLES & KEITH capsule officially dropped on 6 May 2025, available across selected CHARLES & KEITH retail stores, their app, WeChat Mini Program, Tmall flagship, Douyin Mall, and CHARLESKEITH.COM. Catch it before it’s gone — like summer’s last bite.