Imagine thrifting your way through historic cities or repurposing what you find in a once-opulent dwelling to build your wardrobe.

That was the impression left by Uma Wang’s fall collection in which the designer explored the idea of memories — one’s own or those left by prior generations — layered into a new narrative.

Out came suits that looked like they’d been cut down to size from too-large versions, long shift dresses grown out of waistcoats, asymmetric separates that felt collaged from piecemeal swatches. There were even puffy gowns that made models look like they’d been swaddled in pillows or cut from tapestries.

It telegraphed the idea that in the Chinese designer’s eye, any good textile is fair game, dinner suits and upholstery alike.

Textures and patterns hit a sweet spot between opulent and lived-in, with faded jacquards, suiting handsomely mottled and herringbone tweeds turned fuzzy. There were even burnished metallics that nodded to the color of antique gilding, particularly handsome in oversized, if straightforward, suits.

Throughout, Wang’s deft hand at construction was evident, shining strongly in the way she turned the structure of a jacket backward to create a monastic open-back top or even a whole suit into a coat that kept the recognizable features of its previous incarnation.

If some dresses with gravity-defying protrusions felt too sculptural for the everyday, the interesting volumes teased out of simpler fare such as long silk shirtdresses with the help of buttoning tricks were eminently approachable. They also telegraphed the of-the-moment idea of clothing working overtime for a variety of occasions.

It amounted to a lineup that should appeal in equal proportions to Wang devotees and those new to her world.

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