Fashion
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 05:11
Written by Rosemary Zhu

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

5. Angelica Cheung
Editor-in-Chief, Vogue
 
What do you personally think of China’s fashion market at present?
It’s obviously a booming time among all the Vogues in the world but we have been the top performer in the past few years, and especially this year, where the rest of the world has been facing economic problems. China’s market is still growing. Obviously the high end comes from imports, but the high street is growing tremendously and there are a lot more Chinese designers in the market place.

     

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How do trends differ here?
I wouldn’t say there isn’t any fundamental difference because the fashion world is dominated by New York, London, Milan and Paris, and they release the trends and certify the top end fashion designers. But China is an increasingly important part of the global fashion family. The consumers here know very quickly what’s in, what’s out. Obviously we advise our Chinese readers in terms of what trends would appeal more to Chinese ideas of beauty. Consumers here go for things they consider beautiful.

Do you think the West or the East has more influence on Chinese fashion?
It depends. At the moment fashion is an international language, so I don’t see it as an East or West thing. The world has become smaller, the Chinese travel everywhere, they live everywhere, their children live everywhere and they study everywhere and meet people from everywhere. I no longer think geographical boundaries are there in fashion as they were before. It’s more to do with trends than who created the trends.

Do the Chinese look at Vogue China more intently than US Vogue?
Oh yes! You know we probably focus more on education and we introduce a lot of Chinese design to the readers. We also feature a lot of stylish Chinese women to show them what certain clothes would look like on them. While maintaining the high end image of Vogue, we also try to be more approachable and accessible.

Who represents China fashion now?
We are most proud at the moment of the model Du Juan. We put her on the cover and it launched her international career. She is now China’s international supermodel and has inspired a lot of young girls. They now realize that a Chinese model can be an international supermodel. We are most proud of that.

Where will China be in five years?
I think China constantly surprises people. Things change all the time. You will see more of an extension of international brands in China because China has become an focal point in terms of expansion and development for these brands.

What are you wearing?
I’m wearing a YSL white skirt and Chanel jacket. Inside is a top from a Chinese brand called Tangyun Hogsiu.
 
What’s your style prediction for 2010?
There will be very soft, pretty and romantic styles; lighter colors, girlie, feminine and pretty. It will be great for Chinese girls. Jade Bremner

4. Vera Wang
Designer

Of the slew of Asian designers who’ve made it big in the Western fashion world, American-born Chinese Vera Wang remains one of the most inspiring. She’s celebrated the world over for her dreamy wedding gowns and acute understanding of women’s style. Over the last 20 years, Wang has transformed her namesake brand into a lifestyle empire, encompassing women’s bridal wear, ready-to-wear, eveningwear, footwear, eyewear, fragrances and jewellery.

At 23 she was one of the youngest fashion editors at US Vogue, where she remained for 16 years before taking up residence at Ralph Lauren as design director of women’s accessories. “My idea for my business came to me when I was looking for my wedding dress. When I found there were no gowns that fitted my aesthetic, I realized that other women were probably feeling the same way,” Wang told us. Thus, in 1990, Wang opened her first flagship bridal boutique on New York’s Madison Avenue, introducing a more fashionable edge to wedding attire.  Today every bride-to-be dreams of walking down the aisle in one of Vera Wang’s eye-catching creations (as worn by the likes of Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City movie).

“No matter what the styling or fit, I like women to look feminine, sensual and graceful, with a sense of whimsy,” she says. Her recent Spring/Summer ’10 collections demonstrate just that. Her bridal wear features delicate layers of tulle and silk embellished with decorative detailing such as ribbons, buttons and bows, while her ready-to-wear collection is at once darkly seductive and playfully romantic in rich hues of black, purple and metallic. 

Wang cites her Asian roots as a key inspiration. Her parents were born in Shanghai and moved to the States in the 1940s, settling in New York, where Wang still lives today. Wang accompanied her father (son of Chiang Kai-shek’s war minister) back to Shanghai in 1994. She recalls: “He showed me tradition, the Ming Dynasty, what another China was. I saw modern China. I saw a China hungery for Western culture. It’s a wonderfully exciting period.”                              

The astute designer attributes her success in part to her Chinese roots as well as her cross-cultural upbringing. “I inherited China’s hunger to learn, while America gave me freedom as a woman,” she says. “In America we think anything is possible, but the Chinese feel they have to work to deserve it." Sophie Lloyd

3. Alex Yin
Design Director, Metersbonwe

What’s it like working for one of the biggest clothing companies in China?
Metersbonwe is very international in terms of staff and ideas. The Chinese market is huge and full of challenges. For me, the most interesting challenge is striking a balance between producing high-end, trendy fashion and meeting the tastes of the Chinese market. China’s fashion scene is developing at such a fast rate that we constantly have to find new ways to differentiate ourselves from the competition.

You launched your own women’s collection, Estune, three years ago...
Myself and two friends opened a boutique on Changle Lu. I’ve since handed over the management to Chinese designer Chuck Cheung. I don’t have time at the moment.

Would you like to focus more on your own collections?
At the moment all my time is taken up with Me & City. It requires 100 percent of my time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way right now. I love my job.

So, Shanghai or Beijing?
Both cities are very international and the locals are becoming increasingly more fashion-conscious. In Shanghai, fashion plays a huge part in people’s lives. In Beijing, fashion is more artistic, creative and progressive.

Give us a style tip for 2010.
Fashion will become even more experimental with shapes and cuts. It’ll be a mix of futurism and vintage. Sophie Lloyd

2. Du Juan
Supermodel

Hailing from Shanghai, Du Juan, which literally means ‘Azalea flower,’ has gained international stardom on the London, Paris, Milan and New York runways since her debut in 2006. While not beautiful in the classical Chinese sense, Du Juan nevertheless has extremely striking features and a figure that effortlessly captures the essence of high fashion. She has walked for LV, Chanel, Valentino and Givenchy. Better still, she is the first Asian woman to appear on the covers of French Vogue, Time and The Wall Street Journal. She continues to go from strength to strength, and with her emergence coinciding with the rise of the nation’s fashion industry, Du Juan, in many respects, is the face of modern Chinese fashion. Roxanne Mei

1. Qiu Hao
Designer
A graduate of Central Saint Martins and last year’s winner of the prestigious Woolmark Prize, Qiu Hao is firmly rooted in the fashion world but prefers to keep a low profile. A law unto himself, he subverts the norm and experiments with concepts, shapes and fabrics in his avant-garde women’s apparel.

What are you working on at the moment?
I just finished my Autumn/Winter collection in which I focused on details at the side and back of the garments (rather than the front) and I’ve been experimenting with knitted silk for my new Spring/Summer collection.

What do you think of China’s scene?
Like many designers in China, I have a certain vision. I moved to Shanghai 10 years ago and opened a shop six years ago [One by One, which he’s no longer involved in] but nothing much has changed since then. What’s next for us? We need to move forward on an international level but we need the support of manufacturers, media and other people in the industry.

Which Chinese designers do you admire?
I respect Ma Ke and Wang Yi Yang for the fact that they’re doing their own thing.

What inspires you?
I don’t get inspired by museums or books the same way other designers do. For Autumn/Winter, some of my designs were subtly inspired by Chinese opera. I used a lot of horsehair (reminiscent of the men’s long fake moustaches). But for me, it happens in the moment. I like to play around with the fabric, which helps me conceive the design.

What is personal goal?
I’d like to show my collections to more people. I thought about doing Shanghai Fashion Week... but I prefer to organize my own show. Sophie Lloyd

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