Fashion
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 04:11
Written by Rosemary Zhu
Meet the trendsetters, style-makers & taste-formers who rule China’s fashion world
15. Guo Pei
Designer
Fashion without bitchiness is like champagne without bubbles, darlings, and Guo Pei is not without her share of controversy. Keeping one elegant foot planted in the world of wearable, commercial frocks and the other in the heady world of couture has ruffled feathers in certain fashion circles.
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Her evening dresses have been worn by CCTV presenters, actresses and folk singers on the epic Chinese New Year variety show for over 10 years. But accusations of her clothes being clearly inspired by other designers, if not out-and-out ‘shanzai’ have run riot online.
Catty rumors aside, the originality and flair of her haute couture house in Beijing and fabulous catwalk shows at China Fashion Week led trend predictor WGSN to name her as one of ‘Top 10 Chinese Designers’ this year. She also won scores of fans with her bold and patriotic decision to turn down a slot at Milan Fashion Week to show domestically instead. Hailey Meng
14. Taobao.com
Where China Buys Online
China’s largest consumer online trading platform has swiftly become an out-and-out addiction for 150 million Chinese online shoppers. Sixty percent of its traders sell clothing and accessories, from that limited edition Hermes bag to cheap Tesco plastic slippers, to the super ‘kawaii’ (cute) floral dress you saw in a Tokyo street snap, to the vintage blouse that reminds you of your gran. Taobao, just like its literal translation ‘dig treasure,’ enables you to unearth every hidden gem you’ve ever wanted, and at an affordable price. Why bother shopping on the high street when you can buy everything under the sun by typing in a couple of keywords? Hailey Meng
13. Mo Wandan
Supermodel
Cantonese supermodel Mo Wandan, 22, has graced the covers of China’s version of Elle and has modeled for Emporio Armani, Christian Dior, Valentino, Vivienne Westwood and Vera Wang. She is fast becoming an international favorite. Rosemary Zhu
12. Chase Ma
Manufacturing Mogul
Someone you may not necessarily have heard of, Chase Ma has always been the man behind the scenes. He is a multi-million dollar manufacturing giant dealing with clients such as Nike and Addidas from the Chinese mainland, and for the first time in his monumental career he has turned his eye to designing. His first-ever fashion boutique, the brand A205, opened in Shanghai on Changle Lu in March this year. We spoke to him about how to manufacture a personal fashion dream.
How would you describe China’s fashion industry?
Chaotic yet dynamic. The retail market in the USA or Europe is well-developed with clear divisions which are mass-produced ready-to-wear, luxury brands, and independent designers; each category has its target customers. In China, however, the market is huge and immature, which brings many more challenges as well as opportunities. The positioning of many big Western brands will most likely not be that small in China. How exciting is that!
What makes A205 different from other brands?
The aim of A205 is to redefine art and design, which means the brand is developing in multiple dimensions. Our crew not only includes fashion designers but architects, landscape designers as well as painters. Maybe I’ll introduce musicians in the future. A205 educates its consumers. The consumption of fashion products can be mainly divided into two categories in China: functional and luxury. A205 will convince its customers that good products are not necessarily expensive. Fine design, fair price and good quality can be possessed at the same time.
Will it become a model for independent designers?
We have a very strong design team and the concept of the brand is widely accepted by the customers. Of course, the other advantage is that we have our own manufacturing lines, which guarantees the quality of the products as well as realizing the designers’ ideas. There are many gifted designers out there, but few of them have business sense. Great design without business value is just a sketch. If an independent designer wants to set up his or her own brand, they have to be aware of basic business ideas such as budget control, cash flow and so on.
What’s your goal with the label?
Make A205 the bench mark of retail business in China. I hope A205 will become a platform for talented designers and passionate retailers, as P&G and Unilever in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry, and Coca-Cola in the marketing strategy field. Rosemary Zhu
11. Fan Bingbing
Actress
Despite her plastic surgery scandal and her love affairs, fabulous Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is still the paparazzi favorite when it comes to red carpet roll calls, plus she’s the darling of China’s glossiest fashion magazines. She even stole the thunder from Zhang Ziyi in Sophie’s Revenge – Zhang’s first movie as producer – playing a bitchy and aggressive actress (as she seems to be in reality). Fan might not be particularly diplomatic in the public eye, but when it comes to fashion style this emerging icon has never messed up. No matter whether it’s haute couture evening gowns or mix-up daily wear, Bingbing is the bangbang. Rosemary Zhu
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