{"id":19160,"date":"2011-03-23T04:21:21","date_gmt":"2011-03-23T12:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/?p=19160"},"modified":"2011-03-23T04:30:05","modified_gmt":"2011-03-23T12:30:05","slug":"chinas-emerging-fashion-design-powerhouses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/style\/fashion\/chinas-emerging-fashion-design-powerhouses","title":{"rendered":"China’s Emerging Fashion Design Powerhouses"},"content":{"rendered":"
Last month,\u00c2\u00a0Reuters quoted fashion executives and designers as saying<\/a> that Chinese designers \u00e2\u20ac\u0153will drive catwalk trends more than deep-pocketed Asian buyers as China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s creativity becomes fashions\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 next big thing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d While China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00c2\u00a0money<\/em> has been an economic driver, and Chinese design cues have been picked up by some designers, the next part of fashion\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eastward tilt may be the rise of Chinese creativity.<\/p>\n As designer and retailer Elio Fiorucci told Reuters, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the next big issue for fashion is not China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s economic boom but Chinese creativity,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d adding that while the Western world knows little about China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s aesthetic sensibility, China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s emerging designers may surprise us, since they have the talent and a deep knowledge of the Western fashion world. Gianluca Brozetti, Chief Executive of Roberto Cavalli, qualified these sentiments by saying that while the culture and creativity of Chinese designers will certainly be appreciated in the West, it will take time to make a major impact due to the lack of economic power.<\/p>\n Editor, blogger, journalist and media figure Hong Huang\u00c2\u00a0believes that China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fashion climate<\/a> needs additional confidence, since Hong sees the fact that the Chinese market constantly looks for Western confirmation before being ready to buy. With Shanghai Fashion Week about to kick off, and Beijing Fashion Week just around the corner, Jing Daily is looking forward to the newest collections by some of the top emerging designers in China. Some we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re watching closely:<\/p>\n A look from Jenny Ji's October runway show (Photo Courtesy of Shanghaiist)<\/p><\/div>\n Designer Jenny Ji is a very strong proponent of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153East meets West,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with modern collections that draw on cultural cues; For example, her 2010 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Blue Tiger Porcelain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d collection, which took inspiration from Chinese porcelain. The classic style of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Old Shanghai\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is a key element of all of her designs and a style guide that Jenny Ji constantly re-invents.<\/p>\n Shanghaiist<\/a> described her as a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153soft-handed Vivienne Tam\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and with a focus on being an\u00c2\u00a0ethical and eco-friendly designer<\/a>, Jenny Ji is looking towards the future.<\/p>\n A look from Uma Wang's Fall Winter 2010 Collection (Photo Courtesy of Uma Wang)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a><\/strong>While Jenny Ji looks back at the style of Old Shanghai, designer Uma Wang is inspired more by \u00e2\u20ac\u0153international vintage,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with a particular interest in materials, shapes and fabrics.Rather than mining China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cultural history in her deconstructed, edgy collections, Uma Wang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s designs seems to reference the more avant-garde style pioneered by Comme des Gar\u00c3\u00a7ons and others.<\/p>\n Recently profiled by\u00c2\u00a0Vogue Italia<\/a>, <\/em>Uma Wang proves to have more of an international profile and appeal than many of her contemporaries.<\/p>\n A look from Qiu Hao's Fall Winter 2010 Collection<\/p><\/div>\n Qiu Hao is another designer who doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take Chinese references literally, instead choosing to underline his designs with a subtle Chinese design philosophy.<\/p>\n A Woolmark Prize winner<\/a> (previous winners include Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent), Qiu Hao presents Chinese individuality in his collections, most of which feature his signature knots and fluid draping.<\/p>\n An image from the Na(too) Fall Winter 2010 lookbook<\/p><\/div>\n While many of the designers on this list were educated overseas at institutions like Central Saint Martin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in London, designer Zhang Na is a truly home-grown product of the Xi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122an Academy of Fine Arts.<\/p>\n Zhang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s personal brand, Na(too), regularly creates wearable yet quirky designs, which explore the connections between people, fashion and the environment though unique cutting and use of fabric.<\/p>\n A Vega Zaishi Wang design<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a>Naming designers Yohji Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester as influences, Vega Zaishi Wang creates design\u00c2\u00a0concepts<\/em> for each of her collections, the latest being a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cape\u00e2\u20ac\u009d series, with each look individualized with personal touches like irregular hand-stitching.\u00c2\u00a0As\u00c2\u00a0Wang\u00c2\u00a0recently said<\/a>, her latest series is designed\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153to encourage Chinese girls to become stronger, more confident, and independent,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and we hope that her future collections express equally strong viewpoints.<\/p>\n Xander Zhou's First Menswear Collection in 2007<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a>Menswear designer Xander Zhou has become a designer-personality in his own right, something of a poster boy for the emerging Chinese designer. Upon the invitation of Hong Huang, Zhou has been a guest editor for\u00c2\u00a0iLook<\/em> magazine<\/a>,\u00c2\u00a0and has been interviewed for Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00c2\u00a0Dazed Digital<\/a><\/em>, reiterating in each his position as a designer who puts nationality on the back burner. At the same time, Xander Zhou\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s career trajectory goes to show that China presents unique opportunities for young designers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zhang Chi's Fall Winter 2010 Ad Campaign (Photo Courtesy of Zhang Chi)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a>Avant-garde menswear designer Zhang Chi is known for his meticulous tailoring and close attention to detail. His last collection was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153revolution-inspired,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with designs interpreting the concept of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153liberation through manual labor,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d according to\u00c2\u00a0Yitrends<\/a>. While his collections may be too edgy for most, Zhang Chi has gained a loyal following, with his creations available in the UK, Japan, and, of course, China.<\/p>\n Lu Liu in her Beijing boutique (Photo: LumDimSum)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a>Lu Liu is a womenswear designer who looks to highlight a Chinese sense of beauty, with a stated desire to dress the modern and cosmopolitan Chinese woman. Having had previous experience as a stylist in New York, Lu Liu has unique insight in what fashion is in New York as well as what it is in China, where she now designs and runs a boutique.<\/p>\n NE-TIGER's designs are imbued with Chinese design and cultural elements<\/p><\/div>\n Jing Daily has kept an eye on\u00c2\u00a0NE-Tiger<\/a> for some time now, as the brand has made an impact at China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fashion shows and its iconoclastic founder Zhang Zhifeng has become an outspoken advocate for domestic Chinese luxury brands. Zhang now heads one of the fastest-growing fashion houses in China and is known for his haute couture collections, as well as his elaborate evening gowns imbued with Chinese design elements.<\/p>\n Barney Cheng's Spring 2011 collection (Photo: ButterBoom)<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a>Barney Cheng is hailed as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hong Kong\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s biggest designer,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with a glam aesthetic that draws many local celebrities and socialites. His Hong Kong-based atelier,\u00c2\u00a0Yenrabi<\/em>, produces couture, daywear and evening wear.<\/p>\n Chinese designers seem to be split into a few movements, informed by a handful of emerging trends. The first, which encompasses designers like Zhang Zhifeng of NE-Tiger and Jenny Ji of La Vie fall into the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153East meets West\u00e2\u20ac\u009d trend, following older fashion houses like\u00c2\u00a0Shanghai Tang<\/a> or, to a lesser extent,\u00c2\u00a0JNBY<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another trend is the Beijing-Shanghai split. While Shanghai fashion designers seem to prefer the deconstructed, with a particular focus on draping and quirky shapes, Beijing designers agonize over careful tailoring and severe colors. With China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Fashion Weeks coming up and Chinese creativity now firmly in the spotlight, Chinese designers now have a platform from which to prove themselves to the international fashion world and broadcast their often uncelebrated talent.<\/p>\n Chinese Creativity: Who Are The Emerging Designers?<\/a> originally appeared on Jing Daily<\/a> and is republished on Signature9 with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last month,\u00c2\u00a0Reuters quoted fashion executives and designers as saying that Chinese designers \u00e2\u20ac\u0153will drive catwalk trends more than deep-pocketed Asian buyers as China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s creativity becomes fashions\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 next big thing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d While China\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00c2\u00a0money has been an economic driver, and Chinese design cues have been picked up by some designers, the next part of fashion\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eastward tilt may be the rise of Chinese creativity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[5648,5656,5644,5646,5645,5654,5650,5655,5649,5647,5651,5652,5653],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19160"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19160"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19201,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19160\/revisions\/19201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/198.46.88.49\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Shanghai<\/h3>\n
La Vie<\/strong><\/a><\/h5>\n
<\/a>
\nUma Wang<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nQiu Hao<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nNa(too)<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nBeijing<\/em><\/h3>\n
Vega Zaishi Wang<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nXander Zhou<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nZhang Chi<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nLu Liu<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nNE-Tiger<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nHong Kong<\/em><\/h3>\n
Barney Cheng<\/a><\/h5>\n
\nAlex Wang<\/a><\/h5>\n
Not to be confused with New York\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s\u00c2\u00a0Alexander<\/em> Wang, Hong Kong designer Alex Wang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s creations echo the extravagance of his peer Barney Cheng. \u00c2\u00a0Employing intricate beading and embroidery, Wang\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s designs are a regular sight at red carpet events.<\/p>\n
\nTrends<\/em><\/h3>\n