The HUB Moves to Shanghai

The HUB edition 5

If you’ve been in China for any significant amount of time, you should be sick of discussions comparing Beijing and Shanghai. And of course Hong Kong can also creep in. Which city is the best, most fun, most stylish, least fake, etc., etc.? I borrow the answer of my friend Charlie Ducane, who says “the ideal Chinese city runs like Hong Kong, is peopled by Beijingers, and looks like Shanghai.” Beijing has rockstars, artists, and their admirers. Shanghai has beautiful art deco buildings and tree-lined streets. Hong Kong is efficient.

When it comes to which one is the fashion capital, there’s also lively debate. My friend Tim Parent analyzes this question in this article for Business of Fashion. The HUB founders Peter Caplowe and Richard Hobbs, with quite a bit of input from me – I’ve been working with Asia’s leading fashion trade fair for nearly two years – have decided to put their bets with Shanghai now after four shows in Hong Kong.

Interview: Chen Xing

Stylites contributor Crystal Xu caught up with Chen Xing, the designer of Bifu, now exhibiting at the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, to talk about making the transition from architecture to fashion, the experience of working with a luxury hotel and the impact of traditional culture on his work.

Screen Shot 2015-07-06 at 9.48.17 AM

Stylites: What inspired you to transition from architect to designer?

Chen: In China, architecture is all about money, politics, and power.  There are not many choices for architects.  I transferred to a different career to express myself.  I want to be creative and free.  When I was in Italy, I saw so many [foreign fashion] brands and that most of the costumers were Chinese.

China has so much culture I want to show it in my designs.