Fashion
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 04:11
Written by Rosemary Zhu

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Meet the trendsetters, style-makers & taste-formers who rule China’s fashion world

10. Liu Jun
Fashion Photographer

Top fashion photographer Liu Jun is currently based in New York and Beijing.

Who is the most unforgettable person you have worked with?
That would be Francis Ng Chun-Yu (the Hong Kong actor). Once when I was taking photos of him, I asked if he could try to cry because I’d like to shoot another side of him. He didn’t say anything, just looked at the camera and tears fell within seconds.

     

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If you could shoot any Chinese celebrity who would it be?
Jacky Cheung. A magazine once asked me to go to HK to take photos of Tony Leung Chiu Wai. I asked if I could shoot Jacky instead! I love his music, his attitude of life and the way he treats his family.

You have studios in Beijing and New York, what are the differences between Chinese and American fashion?
I can’t compare the two. The Chinese fashion industry has made impressive progress, but the gap still exists.  

So which is the most fashionable city in China?
Beijing! You can find the coolest and tackiest stuff in that city. In my opinion, a fashionable city is a city that tolerates everything.

Black and white, or color?
If you’re asking about my pictures, I always like black and white. Hailey Meng

9. Sun Zhe
Editor-in-Chief, Grazia

Editing one of the most dominant media outlets in female Chinese fashion, the sensational bi-weekly fashion magazine that is Grazia, is Mr. Sun Zhe. Yes, that’s right, he’s a man…

What does fashion mean to you?
For me, it is daily work. A truly fashionable person does not necessarily spend a lot of money on luxury brands or keep pace with the trends. But he or she has to be very sensitive about details. The attitude of fashion leads you to a high-quality life.

Is China influenced by other countries?
Nowadays, the fashionistas in China are mainly categorized into three kinds which are: Western followers, Japanese and Korean fans, and traditional Chinese style wearers. To be frank, I expect Hollywood culture will have an even more severe impact on the fashion industry in the near future. Luckily, China has an enormous market so there won’t be a so-called mainstream trend which dominates like it does in other countries.

Where will the Chinese fashion industry be in five years?
The industry is drastically developing here, and there are more and more talented Chinese designers becoming famous worldwide such as Qiu Hao, Ma Ke and Lu Kun. Still, China has no recognizable brand yet. Fashion is business not craftsmanship. In the following five years, the Chinese fashion industry will be facing more challenges from mass-produced brands as Uniqlo, H&M and Zara are now gaining a big share of the market. I think designers should learn how to work closely with entrepreneurs, media and celebrities. Rosemary Zhu

8. Jenny Ji
Founder, La Vie

Jenny Ji, who launched La Vie in 2002, was one of the most hotly anticipated designers at last month’s Shanghai Fashion Week. Her new collection is entitled The Wedding by La Vie.

How does this new collection differ from your mainline?
La Vie is a ready to wear line, but The Wedding by La Vie is a custom-made couture line.

Given the current economic climate, did you have any concerns about venturing into couture?
We were concerned about the number of orders at the very beginning, but so far we are doing well, since there are more people getting married this year and every month we get new reservations.

Why are you based in Shanghai?
It’s my hometown and you can find a good mix of the modern and the traditional.

Who is the La Vie for?
A chic, fashion-conscious woman looking to express her individuality in a world that breeds conformity.

Which Chinese designer’s work do you most admire?
Vivienne Tam. She always insists on creating a modern Chinese look. Perhaps she was the earliest Chinese designer who tried to combine styles from the West and East, and she is a very charming woman.

What other brands do you wear?
Actually, I wear H&M a lot these days, instead of big brands. It’s fashionable and chic, but cheap.

Have you dressed any celebrities?
Most are Chinese movie stars and models like Fan Bingbing, Du Juan, Pei Pei, Chun xiao, Meng Guangmei, Liu Zi and Yuan Quan. Natalia Vodianova bought a lot of our pieces in the Taikang Lu store when she was last in Shanghai. Olivia von Halle

7. Liu Yaqing
Vice Secretary General, Shanghai Fashion Week

Why did the municipal government start Shanghai Fashion Week?
It originated from a former fashion festival first held in Shanghai in 1995. Back in the 60s and 70s, Shanghai specialized in textile manufacturing. However, after the launch of the reform and opening-up policy, Shanghai started to adjust its industrial construction. To preserve the culture of its textile manufacturing while developing a new fashion business, the government decided to gain worldwide attention by holding a fashion week twice a year.

What makes the fashion week unique?
We make more effort to promote the local elite, including graduates and independent designers. During each fashion week, we have a mixed runway show for new faces to present their work and gain publicity.

Does it influence China?
It’s one of the most influential fashion events in China. Jenny Ji and Helen He launched their own brands after attending the show a couple of times. Wang Wei opened his own boutique shop in London and Ling Yali is selling her stuff now. Rosemary Zhu

6. Xander Zhou
Designer

Voted Designer of the Year in 2008 by Esquire China, Beijing-based Zhou has dressed numerous male celebs including Mika, Chen Kun and Nicholas Tse. His collections are currently available from his showroom in Beijing but he has plans to open his first boutique in 2010. The 27-year-old designer has made it his mission to shape an identity for the country’s menswear scene.

While Zhou, who hails from Jilin, admits that men’s fashion is still in the teething stages in China, he has high hopes for the future. “If you compare how people dress now to 10 years ago, the difference is huge. Men are gradually becoming more fashion conscious, which is evident in the increasing number of men’s fashion and lifestyle magazines in China. I am confident that there will be more Chinese menswear designers in the future, who will eventually become known on the international fashion scene. Before long the modern Peking Man will be roaming the earth!”

Having trained in The Hague, Zhou likes to experiment with cut, detail and textures. “I’ve always had a keen interest in fashion. Even as a kid I would customize my clothes with a pair of scissors to make them more to my liking,” says Zhou. Describing the Xander Zhou man as “someone who likes to dress to impress, with an eye for detail,” his aesthetic is dark, smart and seductive, with a punk gothic twist. “He enjoys life to the max, without forgetting what’s important,” he adds. Sophie Lloyd

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