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Travelling: Vietnam, Sanya, USA

aqua girl-9

I must apologize for the less frequent updates lately. Over the last three weeks, I have only been in Beijing for about three or four days and today am heading back to the States for about ten days. With all of this travel, I have not had much time to scout the streets of Beijing.

Above is a girl that was in the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. With its derelict but grand structures, Hanoi must be Asia’s most charming city and might be more like Paris than any other city outside Europe. Breakneck economic growth has not yet drained the personality, and it remains free of the high-rise forests that fill Asia’s hundred identical metropolises. Perhaps, it isn’t the most fashionable place in the region, but there are a lot of local crafts including silks, cottons and local designers.

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Confucian High Schooler

hong kong girl

Confucius said good government means the ruler acts as a ruler, the minister as a minister, the father as a father, and the son as a son. He might have added that all rulers should be stylish rulers, fathers stylish fathers, etc. This high school student from Hong Kong, in Beijing for several years, does not try to dress like anything other than a student but does an original, chic, take on student style. The look is also most Beijingy.

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Metropolitan Girl

zhao

Zhao Qiang, an editor, at Metropolis Magazine (大都市), came by my place a few weeks ago to interview me. The resulting profile is in the current issue of this magazine for urban professional men that is part of the Modern Media Group. Ms. Zhao also worked for the ill-fated Chinese edition of Rolling Stone.

Beyond the great publicity, she also gave me four bottles of Ketel One. She doesn’t drink it but acquired several cases somehow.

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Boyz at Vogue Night Out

xander

Xander Zhou (周翔宇) was one of a huge crowd of celebrities attending fashion for Anna Wintour’s Fashion’s Night Out. All eyes have been on this young fashion designer since he guest edited the August “Gay China” issue of media sorceress Hong Huang’s (洪晃) fashion magazine “ILOOK” (more at Gayographic and China Hush). Though there have been many smaller gay-friendly publications opening and closing over the last decade, this was the first time a mainstream magazine made nature’s bachelors and their role in fashion the focus of an issue. I met Xander last at a fabric store in Muxiyuan.

rockers

Also at the Vogue party in the basement of the World Trade Center was Beijing brit-rock band Super VC (at a Burberry event). There were huge crowds and droves of celebrities making more stylites photos during the after-party up at Aria difficult.

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Millinery Among the Skyscrapers

For Self-4

Mother and daughter wear creations from Elisabeth Koch Millinery. With her studio, the place where the magic occurs, not five minutes from the Kerry Center, milliner Elisabeth stands out from her peers for her own attire and for the creativity of her designs. Born in the US of Dutch and Welsh parentage, Elisabeth has adored hats and distinctive dressing since girlhood. Slaving for a time in tedious white collar jobs, she finally has started making her quirky dreams into reality here in Beijing, after studying the art of hats making at Wombourne School of Millinery in the UK.

Inspiration comes from her surroundings here at the heart of the Celestial Empire and from the styles of the 1960 and 1970s. Every single hat is made entirely with her own, exquisitely manicured, hands. She has not been tempted to capitalize on the cheap labor yet. Though the majority of clients are of the foreign persuasion, those who order the greatest number of hats are locals including the nonconformist wives of industrialists, government officials and wily magnates. Her hats are borrowed by Trends’ Bazaar and other magazines for photo shoots every week. They add some spice to the looks that tend to be shoulders to toes in the usual brands.

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Cuddly Creative

For Self-5

What a great representative of the China’s exciting new “creative elite”! From Guangdong, Lin Lin lived in London for some time and then returned to China to develop Jellymon, her fashion and design empire which acts as creator, consultant, and partner for numerous brands home and abroad. Beijing is her new base and her command center is in Jianwai Soho. Here, the places she enjoys most are Q Bar (for its classic margarita), Opposite House’s Bei (Sushi and Italian food) and DEAL and Lane Crawford for enlarging her shoe collection.

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Mon Cheri

For Self-3

In the field of polyestrous clones of Dior, Comme Des Garcons, Vivienne Westwood and other “big in China” designer names that is 3.3, seeing something with its own unique brand is always stimulating. Cecaa (霍亮), 24, has a shop selling a brand with the saccharine name “Mon Cheri” in shop number 2008.

The name refers to clothing being his most adored object as he grew up. He was a shy boy and clothing was an escape and an chance to be creative. A goal of his brand is helping clients find clothing that will be adored and soon have its own story. From Beijing, his childhood was spent in a military household. Mother approves of neither his style of dress nor his chosen career.

Favorite designers are Coco Chanel, Hedi Slimange, Anne Demuelemeester, Raf Simons, and Yves Saint Laurent

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Just a Sport Coat

For Self-2

No gold chain, no dark chest hair, no grease, and no high-rolling swagger on this fashion fellow who omitted a shirt, opting for simply a sport coat. This super light cotton sport coat is really a brilliant idea for summer, in which I am never comfortable in even the thinnest linen suit without lining. I fear the look would seem different – maybe even a tad sleazy – on me.