Summer’s Vengeance


Photo: Suzy

We had a slight respite due to rain in the past few days, but true evil of summer is going to be upon us soon. Fans remain the best accessory. For you and world, they are the coolest way to stay air-conditioned.

Native American-influenced styles do occasionally come on view in Beijing, as we see here and here.

My Party in Ilook

After a successful gathering with Daniel Wang at Jeffrey’s apartment, we teamed up with FakeLoveMusic for a Berlinish bash with German bubbly in my mini-yard nearby Prince Gong’s Mansion. DJing was Berlin-based electronic music group Jeans Team, but the main point was all the patterns and colors worn by the guests as documented by photographer Charles Bédué. These photos were featured in iLook magazine, media magnifico Hong Huang’s publication.

At Simon Gao

Tommy and I were a bit late, but we ended up making it in time for the very beginning of the show. Here are the girls in the front row and here are photos of the show from Trends. The gifts that Simon Gao gave out might have been the most distinctive that I have yet encountered at this type of event. His translucent hooded capes in black are unisex and quite the signature item.

The Most Memorable Recent Show

This has been quite the season for big events with Hugo Boss and Armani being particularly massive. There was also a very cool Alexander Wang party a while back. It was the John Paul Gaultier show that was the most memorable for me. The drama and theatricality of the affair made it so much more enjoyable than other shows. A sort of tribute to the life of Amy Winehouse – who seemed to be quite popular with the audience of this show – the show displayed some rather heavy flirtation with decadence, excess and a coquettish glamour. The feeling still managed to be very Parisian. Even items that taunted the boundaries of taste and wearability were exquisitely detailed and showed a nuanced understanding of the interplay between humor and craftsmanship. Though the afterparty was not quite as grandiose as some other recent bashes, the fashion at the show was more than enough to satisfy the audience. Someone commented that China’s leading young designers were looking on enviously from the front rows, wondering how Gaultier can be so skilled at created such a distinct fashion vocabulary.

Unfortunately, I was encountering some technical difficulties that night that prevented me from effectively cataloguing the attendees. However, Women’s Wear Daily comments that “in a city that doesn’t usually condone homosexuality, and certainly never dressing up in drag, all persuasions appeared to be proudly and glamorously represented.” This event may have been a tad more flagrant than the usual fashion party, but I suspect the WWD team doesn’t get out enough in this town.