China Daily

Flying Scissors is my favorite Chinese handbag brand because...

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:09:00 -0800

Flying Scissors is my favorite Chinese handbag brand because they make original, on-trend, quality designs in that golden contemporary price point for handbags that hits just below entry designer (a category Phillip Lim and Alexander Wang have lucratively pioneered for handbags). It took a bit of coordinating to buy, but I absolutely love my red Moonlight Satchel and I am now obsessed with this exotic black and white tote. Also on the list? The Rockola cross-body bag, Bi-Colored convertible backpack/messenger bag, and Spikes evening bag (would be great in a black/gold combo).

Donations welcome to my Flying Scissors handbag fund!

Photo: Flying Scissors

So much to catch up on and cover, I know, but some other...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:51:33 -0800

So much to catch up on and cover, I know, but some other developments have been requiring my attention. Be back soon, hang in there!

One of my favorite blogs, Business of Fashion, has just picked...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:06:38 -0800

One of my favorite blogs, Business of Fashion, has just picked up $2.1M in seed funding led by Index Ventures and other relevant industry players like LVMH. The money will be used to build out the site, which was recently re-vamped and re-launched this week, and bring on new employees.

As a boot-strapped site of 1.5 employees (now 5) and a network of contributors, B of F was an interesting read that drew hundreds of thousands in the fashion space from professionals, to “prosumers” and students, a testament to founder Imran Amed’s talent. I’m excited to see how things develop with this new backing.

Congratulations, Imran!

Patrick Li, a London-based Chinese designer, is a 2011 graduate...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:01:51 -0800

Patrick Li, a London-based Chinese designer, is a 2011 graduate of the Royal College of Art, and was selected to present his collection in Fashion Scout’s “Ones to Watch” show.

The collection explores 19th century shadow catching, a pre-negative film photographic technique, and the “drama of the late Victorian’s supposed “virtue” and sullied interior.” (Perhaps inspired by the 2011 V&A “Shadow Catchers” exhibit, and literally translated through the sepia palette, rich devore velvet, and glittery panels?) Patrick Li’s architectural eye—his strength—is validated by stints with Hussein Chalayan and Viktor & Rolf, and while I applaud him for his departure from that by developing movement this season (compared to his Spring ‘13 collection), still the planes of leather felt a bit stiff and unrefined: neither fully architectural, nor fluid. Perhaps a fuller commitment to movement would have been more successful? However, there were looks that shined, and he shined most in clean and sharply tailored separates. My favorite look? Exit #8.

BLAM! Tom Ford is BACK and on-schedule. SO happy to see him give...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 09:01:55 -0800

BLAM!

Tom Ford is BACK and on-schedule. SO happy to see him give the “rat race” another go, in the way only he can, of course.

Awesome collection (see it here). Of course I’m biased toward the more subtle and subdued looks, but even the colorful and crazy ones are fun and not totally tacky. I love the inverted mitre skirts (a detail that reminded me of Givenchy’s Spring ‘12 skirts, which I also adore).

London Fashion Week seems to be the go-to place for Chinese...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:56:00 -0800

London Fashion Week seems to be the go-to place for Chinese designers to show their collections. Yifang Wan is another example of this growing contingent of strong designers with an affinity for the UK.

This dynamic between emerging Chinese design talent and London seems apt since LFW itself has recently emerged as a city that can once again churn out top-notch creativity consistently enough for the international press, buyers and editors to deem it worth their time to stop over. It also seems surprising, given the top schools in other fashion capitals, New York, Paris, Milan, that many of the most promising Chinese designers are choosing to study instead at one (or more) of London’s prestigious design schools: Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion.

And among the designers who choose not to return home to work on their own brands, they often opt to build their brand in London. Below, an non-exhaustive list of Chinese designers, where they were educated and where they’re now based.

Designer: School (Based)

Huishan Zhang: Central Saint Martins (London)

Kim Kwang: Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, Instituto Marangoni (London)

Yang Du: Central Saint Martins (London)

Vega Zaishi Wang: Central Saint Martins (Beijing)

Uma Wang: China Textile University, Central Saint Martins (Shanghai)

Yirantian Guo: London College of Fashion (London)

Qiu Hao: Central Saint Martins (Shanghai)

Alison “Mary Ching” Yeung: King’s College, Central Saint Martins (Shanghai)

Masha Ma: Central Saint Martins (Paris, Shanghai)

Yifang Wan: Central Saint Martins (London)

Fei Wang: Oxford Brookes (London, Shanghai)

Xander Zhou: Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (Beijing)

Chi Zhang: Instituto Marangoni (Beijing)

Ji Cheng “Jenny Ji” (La Vie): Instituto Marangoni (Shanghai)

Liu Lu (LUVON) Parsons (Beijing)

Photo: Yifang Wan

Google’s at it again, bringing the runway experience to...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:30:00 -0800

Google’s at it again, bringing the runway experience to the world this time through Google+ and in partnership with Topshop Unique during its show this Sunday. Search “The Future of the Fashion Show” or go to google.com/+topshop to “hang out” and watch the show live.

(Can’t see the video? Click here, or use a non-Safari browser)

I’m a total fashion nerd: My favorite hobby is reading...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:57:00 -0800

I’m a total fashion nerd: My favorite hobby is reading anything and everything that has to do with fashion. So why did it take me so long to get Flipboard? I don’t know. I’ve known about it for some time but never downloaded the app until today out of necessity to keep up with everything that’s going on at NYFW. If you need me, I can be found with my iPad and coffee, absorbing all of fashion’s latest and greatest.

“The snake sign is about re-inventing yourself, so that you...

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:50:00 -0800

“The snake sign is about re-inventing yourself, so that you remain vibrant in the ever-changing world.” - James Gager, MAC Creative Director

Like most savvy Western retailers, MAC is capitalizing on the Chinese consumer in the most obvious way by releasing a Year of the Snake Collection. I’d like to think the level of sophistication has been elevated over the past decade but hey, if the formula works…

Happy New Year!

Photo: MAC Cosmetics

Retailers have struggled to effectively monetize social media....

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 08:38:01 -0800

Retailers have struggled to effectively monetize social media. Here’s one place to start.

Photo: H&M

Great images from designer Yirantian...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:13:11 -0800

Great images from designer Yirantian Guo’s ”UN-” collection.

P.S. I don’t believe in platforms, but these are amazing.

Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year: Emerald #17-5641. Now...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:02:51 -0800

Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year: Emerald #17-5641.

Now you know.

Photos: somethingdetailed.com, Chictopia SS ‘13 dress

Topshop is launching its first Chinese New Year (CNY) campaign...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:57:00 -0800

Topshop is launching its first Chinese New Year (CNY) campaign on its Chinese social networks and global platforms. Smart.

Topshop has 10M+ followers on Weibo and 6M+ across its other social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram). It will open its first store in China in May, and a flagship in Hong Kong in partnership with Lane Crawford.

Happy CNY, everyone!

(P.S. If you’re browsing on Safari, click here to see the video)

Central St. Martins-trained textile designer-cum-fashion...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:46:00 -0800

Central St. Martins-trained textile designer-cum-fashion designer, Liu Qingyang (English name: Christine Lau) has developed quite a following with her label, Chictopia, among Chinese and foreigners in-the-know with her “pretty” designs featuring innovative prints, fabrics and digital embroideries. Here, a glimpse of her Spring/Summer ‘13 collection inspired by Henri Matisse. I don’t typically consider myself a “prints person,” but Ms. Liu’s clever designs just might make a print fan of me yet.

Photo: Liu Qingyang

Hong Kong Fashion Week is less of a true “Fashion...

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:04:00 -0800

Hong Kong Fashion Week is less of a true “Fashion Week” as the rest of the world knows it, and more of an extension of a trade show put on by the Hong Kong Trade Development Center (HKTDC) a few times a year: the editorial press is largely missing, as are traditional (majors) buyers, models are cast by HKTDC and shared among designers in group shows, and prizes are handed out to various up-and-coming designers, who invariably change from season to season, in contests like the Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC). However, despite the inconsistency across seasons of designers who show, every now and again there are a few promising gems that crop up. This past HKFW, native Hong Konger, Elizabeth Lin Po-chun, who studied at Central Saint Martins, took the top honors in the YDC as Overall Winner, as well as two of the remaining three awards: Party & Evening-Wear Group Winner and Best Innovation Award Winner. As part of her prize, Ms. Lin will work with designer Martine Sitbon at Rue du Mail in Paris.

Ms. Lin is another example of the increasing number of Chinese designers who study abroad and return home to set up shop. Pictured is the best look from her collection shown at YDC, “Time Capsule,” which is admittedly more conceptual than commercial. But just as for other traditional maisons, this level of directional vision and originality—however impractical—is key to setting the tone of a brand; and it’s encouraging to see it in Chinese design.

Photo: Apparel News

I try to get out and see some demos at least once month, and...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:45:00 -0800

I try to get out and see some demos at least once month, and last night I attended Fashion + Tech SF’s 3rd Year Anniversary to check out what was new in well, fashion and tech. There were three startups that seemed promising. The first two are StylSavvy and Flit. While StylSavvy is still pursuing the stylist/consumer market, given the direction the most directional retailers are going in terms of incorporating mobile technology into their brick-and-mortar shopping experience, StylSavvy’s intuitive shopping app is ripe for white-labeling. Flit, another shopping app, is busier in its interface, but more consumer-ready, plus I like the comparison feature. If pressed though, as a consumer, I’d pick StylSavvy if only because it’s the closest practical thing to Cher’s closet app from Clueless.

The third interesting startup is Ajent, and it’s interesting because it capitalizes on the paralyzing decision making process that comes from overwhelming choice by straight-up telling you what items to buy to get a certain look (looks are updated thrice weekly). Who knew lack of choice could be so liberating? The one thing I’d like to see improved is better matching between the look and suggested products, but overall they’re on the right track in terms of being streamlined and user friendly. Ajent’s competitors require uploading, tagging, and/or digging around for “get the look” options… tedious.

As an aside, every now and again, I’m amazed to think back to my childhood when none of this technology was around. “How did we get by?” I’d think. But then I saw this image and realized maybe it’s because no matter how sophisticated our technology gets, it’s in our human nature to do inane things. We just get to do them on spiffier platforms.

Vogue Italia editrix, Franca Sozzani, is probably the most vocal...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:01:00 -0800

Vogue Italia editrix, Franca Sozzani, is probably the most vocal supporter of Chinese fashion—both design and model talent—among fashion’s elite. Case in point: the January 2013 cover featuring Chinese model Fei Fei Sun (Sun Feifei) in a Diana Vreeland-esque ‘do.

The Global issue is another example of how Vogue Italia pushes fashion past the traditional Western paradigm. ”In the images, Fei Fei perfectly embodies a timeless idea of an extremely chic, beautiful woman,” says Sozzani. In today’s world, fashion is truly global. I wonder how long it will take everyone else to catch up.

Photo: Vogue Italia, by Steven Meisel.

Quote: WWD

“What happened to Jason Wu only happens in the West. Can...

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:43:00 -0800

“What happened to Jason Wu only happens in the West. Can you imagine if the Chinese press talked more about a dress than the leader himself? The political clients I have all request that I make something very subdued and not eye-catching. The last thing they want is to outshine their husbands.”

-Guo Pei, Chinese couturiere to WWD, February 22, 2012.

Images: NYT, uk.fashionmag.com

Karl Lagerfeld has teamed up with architect Zaha Hadid for...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:05:00 -0800

Karl Lagerfeld has teamed up with architect Zaha Hadid for another Chanel branding exercise in China, called Culture Chanel, in the Guangzhou Opera House, designed by Hadid. (The opera also inspired Chinese designer, Vivienne Tam’s Fall 2011 collection) The exhibition launches January 16 and runs through March 3. Their last collaboration was the traveling container for the 2008 Chanel Mobile Art Exhibit.

Culture Chanel is curated by Jean-Louis Froment, who previously put together two other Culture Chanel shows in Shanghai and Beijing, and is put on in partnership with the Guangdong Museum of Art. The exhibition traces the connections between Chanel and the arts, showcasing 400 woks of art along with fashions by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and current Chanel couturier, Karl Lagerfeld.

Nowadays there’s nothing truly innovative in fashion in...

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 10:56:00 -0800

Nowadays there’s nothing truly innovative in fashion in terms of silhouettes and styles (although there are very interesting and disruptive technological advances), which are constantly being reworked and recycled. And yet I’m surprised to see that the cycle of fashion references is getting shorter and shorter.

It used to be that fashion’s tastemakers would wait a few decades before re-working a look. Now, we’re referencing the aughts just barely after leaving them. Case in point: Karlie Kloss’s “Chop” by Garren, documented in the January 2013 issue of Vogue, immediately transported me back to the August 2000 issue, when Garren also chopped model of the moment, Carmen Kass’s long hair into a chin length ‘do.