While Zara, Uniqlo, and H&M race to dominate Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities that you have heard of, Forbes reports that local fast fashion brands like ME&CITY and URBANEIGHTDAY are expanding even more rapidly in second, third and forth tier cities. Interestingly, these brands are relying on Western “it” celebrities for their marketing. I must confess that I have not been to the shops of any of these brands. I believe there is a ME&CITY in Xidan.
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Thanks to Jing Daily for including me in its list of the top five China fashion bloggers. Amusing that beyond being the only non-Chinese on this list, I am the only male. This story was picked up by the Business of Fashion and The New York Times Fashion and Style Section. The Global Times just did an article on Li Xiaofeng’s cooperation with Lacoste and the Porcelain Polo, for which I was consulted. My piece on this in China International Business also appeared recently. Check two pages back on Stylites for the posts in which I cover Li Xiaofeng, Lacoste and the 2010 Holiday Collector’s Series. Here, from Forbes, is an interesting slide show of the most important figures in the Chinese fashion industry. Xander Zhou is the only one on the list who has been on Stylites. I don’t know if “fashionista” is the right word for most of these people. 福布斯最近发布了一则中国时尚界人士排行榜。曾在Stylites出现过的人中，设计师Xander Zhou是唯一一位上榜人士。我不知能否用”Fashionista” (意为“时尚狂人”) 来描述他们这些人。 This article discusses the possible two-pronged approach that luxury companies will have to take to customers in Western and Asian markets. Apparently Chinese, Japanese, and Middle Eastern buyers are not terribly excited about logo-less bags.
Photos by Teresa Yeh The sparkling rosé was quite nice. Madame Figaro editor Zhang Shen was among the glamorous media guests, but she was drinking water out of a champagne flute. She had to head back to the office after the party.
Photos by Teresa Yeh Just count the details. Fashion designer Vega Zaishi Wang thoughtfully considers the tasteful little touches in all parts of her life including music, elixirs, and of course the cuts of the garments she creates. This 1930s radio, produced in Shanghai by a company called Panda, and the other decor in her first Jianwai Soho shop, just opening this week, are a testament to her quirky, distinctive style. The well-curated, compact space is comfortable and airy with high ceilings resulting from gutting of the second floor.
日前，毕业于伦敦中央圣马丁艺术设计学院的中国新锐独立设计师，王在实Vega Wang，在北京建外Soho，开设了第一家其自主品牌的精品店。店内的精巧设计与装潢，就像她的手工成衣一样，显现出她本人精灵古怪、独具风格的特色。当北京的众多时装店还在用古董和各种混杂不堪的装饰时，Vega却用古雅别致的装潢托显出其设计品的时尚与前卫。老式缝纫机、悬于窗上的木质品、以及排列在长凳上的各色线轴，都激发着顾客们想在这里定制服装的欲望。
California-bred Candy Lin, designer of Candy and Caviar, dishes on the inspirations behind her newest line, and her ambitions for reaching the world through fashion design — starting with bases in L.A. and Beijing. Stylites contributors Marilyn Mai Ong (English) and Renee Liu (Chinese) wrote this profile of Candy. 加州长大的Candy Lin不加客套的与我们聊起她新一季设计的灵感，这个女孩有关用时装征服世界的梦想，开始于洛杉矶和北京这两个城市。
The backdrop for Hong Kong brand EQ:IQ’s F/W 2010 RTW Show at Yan Club in 798 couldn’t help but remind me of the Mae West Lips Sofa by Salvador Dali. The lip motif also appeared in the “Bisous” lip patterned tote and evening bag and in the cardinal red of the lipstick on the models. Yet the real inspiration for the collection was the home of Creative Director Stephanie Stindel, the City of Light. While hardly a novel place from which to draw inspiration for a fashion collection, one doesn’t exactly tire of imagining strolls through the Jardin du Luxembourg (or shopping sprees around Place Vendôme). Girls from grayer, murkier towns ought still to mimic Les Femmes de Paris and this appealing array of garments might be one point to start in this pursuit. Finally, I have a spare moment to mention my experience on the “China – A Chance for Young European Designers” panel in Berlin. A growing number of foreign fashion designers are landing in China. History’s greatest economic miracle now might provide both markets for foreign brands and employment for foreign talent. This latest generation of foreigners focused on China is young, based here rather than overseas, and sees its future with Chinese companies as this market continues to expand. 我终于有空来写在柏林参加的以“中国–年轻欧洲设计师的舞台”为主题的研讨会了。 越来越多的外国设计师开始在中国落脚了。中国，这样一个历史上经济的奇迹，向外国品牌提供市场也为外国设计师们的天赋提供舞台。最新的一批年轻的外国设计师选择在中国拓宽市场，展望他们的未来。
Wondering what on earth these creatures are? Originally dogs, they were displayed to the public by pet beauty salons recently in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. It might not be incredible that in China pursuit of fashion could be transfered to pets in such an amusing way. When the UK’s Dailymail found these pictures they were startled and comments from readers connected this to China’s record for animal cruelty. How could one not mention that Chinese like eating dogs? 看得出来这些小动物们是什么么？嗯，他们是狗，6月份时在河南郑州被某家宠物美容院对外展出。好像任何怪异的事在大陆总是能迅速流行。 As I’ve been involved with the Li Xiaofeng/Lacoste project since the start, I take a keen interest in observing the media response, particularly from other websites. Jing Daily picked up my coverage of the story. Interview Magazine carried a more in-depth piece called “Li Xiaofeng for Lacoste: The Armored Crocodile” and Yatzer included an interview. The T Magazine blog also mentioned Li and soon Hypebeast, Trendhunter, Maison Chaplin, High Snobiety, Slamxhype, Dinosaurs and Robots and ulike.net carried the story. Next, I will put an update about coverage from the China and global print media.
In addition to producing the porcelain polo, unlikely to be worn or re-produced, Lacoste asked Li Xiaofeng to design some cotton polos for the Holiday Collector’s Series 2010. 李晓峰制作的青花瓷马球衫虽设计感十足，但可穿性并不强。
Amidst the countless details on the porcelain polo, the most centralis the point where the pheonix meets the crocodile above the collar. Li Xiaofeng points to this as a point where the emblems of East and West meet. The Lacoste logo represents the West and the pheonix is a traditional symbol of imperial China. I think that when considering this piece - especially as a commentary on the Lacoste logo - it helps to remember its predecessor: last year’s super-limited edition Campana Brother’s polo, of which there are 24 in the world. As comentaries on branding and logos, how do these compare?
Yesterday evening, I spoke with artist Li Xiaofeng, creator of the Lacoste Holiday Collector’s Series 2010, over a bottle of Chablis in the courtyard of the Hôtel Costes. Following are his comments on a number of subjects. Fashion: This is not about fashion design. The print of the cotton polos is entirely based on the porcelain shard sculpture created for Lacoste. Lacoste: The brand has a long history and does a good job of preserving its traditions. 昨晚，我有幸与2010年Lacoste 假期收藏品的设计师李晓峰在巴黎的Hôtel Costes 共饮了一瓶夏布利葡萄酒，并讨论了以下的话题。 时尚：这次的设计不是一个时尚服饰的设计。这一次为Lacoste设计的马球衫的花纹全部都会是陶瓷碎片的拼图搭配。 Artist Li Xiaofeng, his wife, and I arrived in Paris last night and were escorted to sumptuous, compact, famously pretentious Hôtel Costes, my home for the next week. 艺术家李晓峰及其妻子还有我三个人在昨天晚上到了巴黎，被送到豪华简洁的以自命不凡闻名的Hôtel Costes，它是我们下一周的家。
The 2010 Lacoste Collector’s Series is created by Li Xiaofeng. He wanted his favorite bracelet to be photographed alongside the invitation to the release event, which is this Friday in Paris. I find this image very inspirational as it suggests that there is bountiful hope for craftsmen from Western countries. In early 2011, American Eagle Outfitters Inc., one of the biggest teen apparel retailers with 936 stores in the United States and Canada, will begin opening stores in China. 明年年初，深受美国青少年青睐的服装品牌American Eagle（美国鹰）要在中国首次开店了，头三家要开在香港，北京和上海。 Have you heard of the man-bra? They are the latest trend in China and you can get one via online retailers like Taobao.com. Wait… Men wearing bras… Are you kidding? 听说过男士胸罩么？等等，男的戴胸罩？开玩笑吧。是真的，而且它们正在淘宝热卖呢。 “China is the new United States. It’s why we have to promote champagne in China — to make them happy and peaceful. They are going to lead the world for the next 200 years.” -Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, Chief Executive, Taittinger Have the Americans been benevolent despots because of ample bubbly? Or is our purported aggressiveness and ruthlessness the result of less fabulous intoxicants? What sort of hegemon is bred on baijiu? Anyway, Taittinger is just one of countless luxury brands working to gain a slice of China, the sweetest, biggest cake in the market. 随着世博会如火如荼地举行，中国的各个方面都吸引着全世界的眼球。 |
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