Slouchy pants are almost the norm these days in Beijing.  This young lady is a fashion designer who was at Lane Crawford.

Visual Merchandiser Paul Cheng has been working very hard over the last couple of days.  Here he is in a very interesting Raf Simons jacket.  Those shoes are ready for action.

Not long before seeing her at the Burberry party (the post before), I encountered Ivy in the hutongs.  Born in Beijing, she grew up outside the Second Ring, she now lives near Nanluoguxiang.  At the moment, in addition to studying design and designing, she writes for a range of fashion magazines. Ivy frequently travels abroad, preferring Paris and Tokyo.  

Beijing brit-rock band Super VC is a fan of Burberry and enthusiastically welcomes the new store.  Burberry Creative Director Christopher Bailey came to Beijing for a single day to attend the opening and I gave him a Stylites pocket square, which he found a bit surprising.  In the Jinbao Place Shopping Mall, also home to Gucci, Buttega Veneta, Vertu, and the Swank, mentioned in the post before, this new outlet on Jinbao Street is Burberry’s sixth and largest store in Beijing.  Someone evidently has a plan to make Jinbao street into Beijing’s answer to Madison Avenue or Via Spiaggia.  Jinbao street also has the Peninsula hotel, and its shopping mall, the Beijing Hong Kong Jockey Club Clubhouse, dealers for Maserati, Ferarri, and Bugatti, as well as the subtly designed Legendale hotel, which could have been the brain-child of Harrod’s owner Mohamed al-Fayed.

On both sides of the roped-off entry to the shop were standing some spectators from the neighboring hutong.  As it turns out, the lady in red crocs worked as a seamstress until retiring in her forties.  She doesn’t expect to ever enter the Burberry shop, despite its proximity to her home, but maybe she could get a helping with alterations?  I wonder what she thinks of the Legendale.

Export Manager Mr. Edoardo Simone of Brunello Cucinelli was in Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of Hong Kong’s The Swank, the first retail outlet in the mainland that will be carrying his brand. The Swank opened its first outlet last Friday with a celebration (covered by luxury insider) at the Beijing Hong Kong Jockey Club Clubhouse.

Brands on offer include Isaia, Balmain, Dormeuil, Andrew GN, to name a few. This is, in a sense, only the second major multi-brand high-end retailer to land in Beijing with the first being Lane Crawford, also from Hong Kong. The norm here is free-standing boutiques in large malls, of which there are an ever-growing number. This limits the market to those companies that have the size to finance a major commitment in the form of staff, rent, etc.

This has a couple of effects, which I regard as largely negative. Mainland customers have been up to their ears in Prada, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, Armani, D&G, Hugo Boss, and other brands that are either part of major fashion groups or, in any case, heavily reliant on marketing. When a good portion of a company’s revenue flows into advertisements and public relations, one cannot be blamed for wondering how much is left for creating high-quality luxury goods.

Whereas Lane Crawford offers many fashion-forward and avant-garde brands, the Swank brings to Beijing relatively smaller Italian companies, like Brunello Cucinelli and Isaia, that invest in the best fabric, craftsmanship, and good working conditions. These cater to a somewhat more mature audience, from around 35 to 55. It will be very interesting to see how these brands perform in China. They are only recognized by a few and do not rely on heavy branding, glossy models, and appeal to the fashion crowd. Judging by the shawl-lapel suit worn by Mr. Simone, the garments do have some style.

And these two are recent graduates of university.  They now operate an online fashion boutique.  They are both born and raised in Beijing itself.  This is surprisingly rare.  Most people I encounter were born in the provinces and came here to work.  She is indeed wearing a Yoo-hoo hoodie.  This is in fact what convinced me to take the pic.

Some of my other favorite couples that have appeared on Stylites are the high school pair in which the guy was wearing M&M trousers, the two roommates wearing zebra pants and this pair of lovebirds.  The last picture gives a great look at a wall along Nanluoguxiang from about eight months before the Olympics.  Things are a lot cleaner now, though I adore the interesting patterns that the elements create on walls over the years.

There’s more to be scared of here than just the red trousers.  I know there is an indie band here called Hedgehog, but this young rocker must be part of Porcupine.

I hope that bag is real.  Clearly her boyfriend is investing all of his fashion renminbi in her.  Aside from the tedious sack, I do rather like her look and it’s a nice shade of red.

Slim red jeans can be a good alternative to the usual blue.  Anyway, this was a small fraction of the people wearing red pants on Nanluoguxiang this past weekend.  It is a good color to wear.  It symbolizes good luck and happiness and is thought to ward off evil.

This fellow is doing many things well.   There’s some decent layering action.  The heavy reliance on black works to some degree.   He’s scoring with the undone terribly skinny black tie.  The collar width appears to be in balance with the skinniness of the tie.  The leather sport coat is masculine and determined.  With that look of confidence, he could have walked right off the cover of any of many local men’s magazines.   Shine is matched with sheen and that matches his attitude toward life. 

That said, I am growing sick of the shiny black super skinny tie.   I would urge him to pick up a knit tie, though his outift might be too shiny for it.  Let me advise him that we live in an era that favors nubbiness and knit ties are pretty much at the peak of their hipness in the US and in Japan and South Korea.

If extreme popularity reveals what is already over the hill in terms of the cool factor, the skinny knit tie is over. Look at production rather than the streets. Every factory is doing huge orders of poly and silk 2 inch solid ties for Next, Topman, and every other mainstream brand under the sun.  There are actually very few factories that have invested in the relatively inexpensive machines that make knit ties.  Just based on the numbers of orders, knit sock ties remain an exclusive item in the field of trendy ties.  Also,  the production cost of the cheapest knit ties is more than doubled that of the cheapest woven ties.

This past weekend there were several parties thrown by fashion labels and stores.  At the parties, I spent most of the time talking to friends, but I did take a couple pictures.  Here are Fu Yuanyuan, creator of Marzipan, and Andrea Jacomelli, of Nestlé.  Andrea is wearing a three-piece suit from Senli and Frye.  The waistcoat is single-breasted with notch lapels.  Andrea is heading to Singapore next week, after spending two years in Beijing.  The suit is in a light-weight fabric, but I suspect he will be shedding the coat frequently.  While she was a PR executive, Yuanyuan worked for two years on the Nestlé account, though this was the first time she met Andrea.

Hervé is the Head of the Visa section of the Embassy of Switzerland.  His family left Catholic Bavaria for Switzerland during the Thirty Years War  (1618–1648) since they were Lutherans.  Hervé retains a fondness for his family’s ancestral home and he picked up this lovely wool jacket there.  Several of the guests at the party complemented him on his “Chinese style” jacket.  There is a resemblance but it is difficult to find wool of this type in China.

This young lady from Reims was surprised that an American like me would not only have heard of her town but also know that it has a nice church.

Here is Tomasz wearing a jacket from Le Divan Studio, which just moved to a new home in Caochangdi.  This was initially bad news for me.  Aurelien and Tony, the creative directors, used to be my favorite neighbors when their studio was near my courtyard in the Deshengmen area of Central Beijing.  The move was a good idea for them though.  The new space is much bigger, providing much needed room for workshops and living quarters for their team. 

In addition to several appearances on Stylites, Tony and Aurelian have been in more obscure street fashion blogs like the Sartorialist.

Slim black ties paired with a suit jacket and jeans as party wear are pretty tedious.  Clearly many men believing donning such ties automatically moves them up several notches in hipness.  This casual use of the tie seemed more interesting.

Sorry for the lack of females recently.  I just haven’t been finding them.  From Los Angeles, Ryan Horne is a manager at the new China Doll, on the entire fifth floor of 3.3.  A lover of cashmere sweaters and fitted blazers, Ryan explains that China Doll gives Beijingers the “reason to dress up” they have been seeking.  More than a club or bar, it is a cultural megaplex, and most importantly an arena for dandies and fashionistas alike to promenade.

Daniel Sui is a designer for Kappa in China and he appeared on Stylites before. The IHT had an interesting story on the public offering of Dongxiang, which owns the exclusive license for the Kappa brand in China.  As the existence of Daniel’s job proves, this Italian sportswear brand is not only produced and sold in China, but also designed here. The article speaks of over 20% annual growth of the Chinese sportswear market.

The funny thing is that I have the exact same herringbone trench coat and I was wearing it that same day. Daniel also wore it for his photo shoot with 1626 (1626 also did a shoot and interview with me that should be appearing over the next couple of weeks):

The coat is intended for export to Japan and is by some obscure brand. The cut is really slim and the styling is quite nice. I think the coat looks good and that’s why I bought it despite some misgivings. The price of around USD 50 also didn’t dissuade me. Unfortunately, truths like “you always get what you pay for” do seem eternal. This coat has the same key defect as many stylish pieces made in China for export to Japan as well as stylish fakes of brands like Dior Homme and Burberry Prorsum. That defect is poor quality materials. The fabric, buttons, thread, and lining are all sub-par. Even H&M and Zara offer substantially better quality. The fabric began to pill after a few wearings and the buttons are about to fall off en masse. Anyway, all I can say is that it is worth using Senli and Frye to get a durable piece that will last through the years. That said, sometimes one does want throw-away fashion – this certainly doesn’t seem very ecologically friendly though.

Ana, from Moldova, has enjoyed watching the shopping options in Beijing expand exponentially in recently. She thinks Beijing women benefit tremendously from fashion mags, displaying style role models. 

A pivotal moment in recent men’s fashion received ample expression at the Lane Crawford party. Not only are the dropped-crotch trousers a key look for men in winter 2007, they are also one of the memorable pieces from Hedi Slimane’s last collection for Dior Homme, and consequently a collector’s item. Women, especially Japanese, have enjoyed this less constricting style for several years and a few menswear designers have attempted these trousers lately, but Hedi Slimane succeeded in making them look edgy and rockstar-like, as he does with most pieces. They stand in marked contrast with the extreme slimness for which his collections are known.

They’re not Jodhpurs, intended for riding with a flare at the thighs and a standard rise, and they’re definitely not harem pants. The inspiration appears to be “dhoti” pants from India, which are normally paired with the “kurta” – a long pajama-like shirt. It is perhaps in being paired with other more stock Dior Homme pieces like the slim black tie and small-collared shirt that these trousers really shine.

I asked Richard: “

All told, while the silhouette is refreshing, one can’t deny that it is a risky look. Without buying the entire Dior Homme ensemble and, maybe, being Chinese and thus quite removed from American pop culture, a certain comparison might be made.

The Homie pants should not be rejected for eternity just because of that unfortunate episode. I encountered Richard again recently and he showed his usual appreciation of the drama and fun that I believe should always be a part of fashion.

Anyone who carries a glass of champagne for every picture is fine by me. I still haven’t found out what Richard does or believes. I would like to constantly have a glass of champagne in hand, and have a little man for refilling follow me everywhere I go. A second man would push along a Louis Vuitton wardrobe filled with bottles.  That is the only LV piece I would ever buy, and it necessitates the hiring of a man whose sole purpose in life is pushing it.  There’s a thought for the new wealthy of China.

In the dead of winter, hatless Beijingers wearing heavy quilted coats swear hats are not stylish, and snicker when foreigners repeat the old “30% of body heat” thing. Hopefully, Yao Yao’s example can prove that cranial warmth can be chic. This picture didn’t actually appear in That’s Beijing. In fact, they didn’t use most of my shots of females from the Lane Crawford Party, preferring the males.

Italian blood is infused with courage and, in recent times, design. Andrea, manager of an Italian PR firm, realizes his creative potential with the tailors in the capitol of the latest Empire.  Even his watch is his own creation.

Finally my pictures from the Lane Crawford opening party can appear on stylites.net, since they have now already appeared in the December issue of Thats Beijing. Please get your own copy, to see these photos in print. The original goal for this edition of Stylites in Beijing, in That’s Beijing, was to focus on the whole Financial Street area in Western Beijing. However, I found on numerous trips to the area that there was very little interesting style in the region beyond the night of the Lane Crawford opening party. Even in Seasons Place Shopping Mall, where Lane Crawford is located, on a normal day, there is no one that I want to photograph. In fact, there are very few people, owing to the location and the high prices of the stores in the mall. Perhaps this simply highlights the exclusivity of the shopping complex. I guess the name Financial Street says it all. Ibankers can certainly be stylish in a traditional way, though they tend not to chase the latest trends, but even that Saville Row set of style sensibilities has not reached Beijing. However, the international fashion elite welcoming Lane Crawford to Beijing showed an intimate knowledge of the looks and pieces that are hot now, and a talent for mixing, matching, and innovating on them creatively.

Bernie describes Beijing as “culturally rich” with consumers “ready for anything”. His attitude and look both seem “ready for anything” with this singular cotton waistcoat that blends British tradition with the de-rigeur black of the fashion elite. Based in Hong Kong, Bernie is a buyer for Lane Crawford.

Did anyone ever say Chinese women don’t have long legs. Even with this pair, the leg warmers seem to add rather than subtract from height. Fangfang is a fashion designer who owns her own shop; the coat is her own creation.

Junior buyer Jimmy says menswear at Lane Crawford will rely on key brands like Zegna and Armani, while educating on new brands with a more “romantic” spirit. His Burberry Prorsum wool/cashmere coat with braided epaulettes (RMB 27,350) encapsulates that spirit and the size 48 hanging in the store happens to be a perfect fit for me. Instead I picked up a similar, but inferior because it lacked the braided epaulettes and Italian fabric, piece in 3.3 for RMB 550.

Sorry for the hand. I forgot to mention that I saw Maggie Cheung at the Lane Crawford party. She was in the process of being hearded off to the VIP room, no doubt. She is as beautiful as she is said to be and seeing her was one of the high points of my adult life. For Western viewer who may not know Maggie: she starred in In the Mood for Love. Americans may be more familiar with Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, but for the Chinese themselves and – perhaps not so coincidentally – the French, Maggie Cheung is the most beloved Chinese actress and the most beautiful.

In the Mood for Love is worth seeing just for many reasons: the soundtrack, the story, the setting.  For me, the beautiful qipaos she wears are reason enough.

There is a time lag on my photos, for which I apologize. The photos I take for That’s Beijing must appear there before they appear on my blog, according to our agreement. So the Lane Crawford party is quite old news in Beijing as is summer, but photos from these two events will be appearing on my blog periodically anyway. I am trying to remedy this problem. Given the fact that I don’t too much time to take photos, it is difficult. Regard the blog as a celebration of timeless style.

Prepared to go acquiring, some men at the opening party of Lane Crawford are looking cool.

They could feel confident that Lane Crawford selected the best pieces from each of the labels on offer. Rick Owens, Burberry Prorsum, Viktor and Rolf, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Neil Barrett, and Alexander Mcqueen are in Beijing for the first time. The new Dior Homme shop opposite confirms that Beijing is no longer a men’s fashion backwater.

Here are Beijing’s best shoes. Check N.D.C Made by Hand brogues (4,100). Lane Crawford is China’s only distributor of these and the Spanish Preventi (around 2,500). Church’s (5,800-6,800), bench-made in the UK, are among the earth’s best shoes, though boring Zegnas are still the top sellers at Lane Crawford. Uh, not to mention the John Lobbs (14,000+).

The tie, shirt, and scarf selection was acceptable, but for lovelier choices, check Allen in Oriental Plaza. More pocket squares would be nice. Standouts were Burberry Prorsum slim ties (1,895) and Viktor and Rolf star print ties (1,000). Choices in attractive corporate-friendly ties lagged; brands missing include Hilditch and Key, Charvet, and Massimo Bizzochi. The Italy-made store brand shirts (1,400) suffice, but Turnbull and Asser or Borrelli would outclass. Skip Vivienne Westwood scarves – the orb is old – but indulge in an over-dyed Raf Simons “split ends” scarf (3300).

Officewear is Dunhill, Zegna, Pal Zileri, and Armani, familiar brands that will sate nearby ibankers and private equity thugs, and generate steady cash flow. The well-edited collections save trips to their boutiques, but truly exclusive brands like Barbera, Isaia, or Belvest might be nice. Choose Pal Zileri for its superior construction – a one button, peak lapel, s120 navy pinstriped suit (18,300) needs you. Non-sale prices include alterations. Skip the Paul Smith suits, but try out his beige, velvet-collared, crombie (13,700).

For divine experiences, blending high fashion with great tailoring, go for the silk/wool Alexander Mcqueen suit (26,700), which makes shimmering look good and will doubtless adorn a popstar, and the black Burberry Prorsum wool/cashmere coat with braided epaulettes (27,350) that seemed custom-made for me. Or you could get personalized replicas custom-made by a tailor here in Beijing.