She claims no profession and lives to enjoys life, presumably basking in her own rugged coquettery by night and rummaging through Xidan markets by day.
This picture was also featured in the November issue of That’s Beijing. Stylites in Beijing is a regular part of the fashion section of Beijing’s premier English Language magazine. Look out for pictures from Lane Crawford in the December issue.
Wendy, the youngest and hippest bartender in Q Bar, makes it happen with her cute rebelliousness. The black tie affirms her professional credentials while anchoring the abrasiveness in her gaze. Her attitude is what makes it.
Q Bar makes the best cocktails of any bar in Beijing and it also has the widest selection. Highlights include the frozen daiquiris, all types of martini, and the Q Bar signature drinks. They will know what you mean if you say” “rusty nail”. The prices are almost on an international level, reflecting the better service and presumably real booze. The crowd is almost exclusively foreign and the bar doesn’t have anything particularly “Beijing” about it, aside from Wendy, and the view of high-rises outside. It is good place to hang out if you live in Beijing, since the only other places with real cocktails tend to be hotel bars. If you are visiting, I would recommend checking out more atmospheric places like Lan, Suzie Wang, Bed Bar, Rockstar, and Salud.
Dayang wears a cardigan from his elementary school days and his dad’s necktie. He does design and rock and roll and appears to dedicate himself to authenticity, preferring to avoid retail outlets if possible. It’s rare to see such a thrift-store like look in Beijing, where buildings, clothes, and everything else tend to be spanking new. However, Dayang’s look seems very appropriate for Nanluoguxiang, Beijing’s foremost Hutong turned cute commercial district.
The present, or perhaps already passed, obsession with “authenticity” displayed by many in the current generation has not yet become mainstream in China, but one can see the start. While young people from humbler backgrounds may question why I would choose a courtyard home with all of its quirks over a swank modern apartment built just last year, more educated types, normally with some exposure to the West, have started to get it. The backlash against manufactured, homogeneous and often contrived culture might begin. A style of consumerism that displays individual choice and an appreciation of genuine products and natural materials is growing. Still, pleather boots and neon shorts still outnumber the cashmere cardigans and second-hand brogues picked up while rummaging through a street market in London.
There are a number of technical, editing, and design problems that need to be resolved on the site. Please forgive the delay in getting the website completely ready. It will be updated regularly despite these various glitchs and problems, so please keep checking back. Everything should be sorted out within the next two weeks. Thank you for your patience.
This gathering on Sunday, November 4, at Xinghua Hutong will celebrate my mother’s visit, the reemergence of stylites.net and the beauty of Beijing’s autumn. Please come between 1:30 pm and sundown. There will be chuan’r, mulled wine, and other booze and food. Also, a small yard sale, the proceeds of which will go to a TBD local environmental NGO. Bring fashionable rags to sell if you are interested and also any contributions to the liquor cabinet. Please RSVP to nels@stylites.net for instructions and a map.
The world’s most durable and attractive wools and cashmeres hail from the British Isles, in my opinion. Now they are coming as part of a trade delegation to get their piece of the ever more gigantic China market.
http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1727002007
As Chinese businessmen learn more about the art of fine dressing, they will demand that their suits be made from brands like Holland & Sherry and Johnstons of Elgin, both part of this delegation. It will be interesting to see whether brands like this can achieve even greater success than they have in Japan. I want to find out how to get hold of some of this fabric, also.
The greens are an attempt to evoke the natural environment for which he must long, since he has reentered the beige and gray fray of his hometown, Beijing. He attended university in Nicosia, of all places. A short Fiat ride from the city are a wider range of azure and emerald shades than could ever be imagined by any maker of fashion dyes.
Paul Frank is widely available in China, where it is produced. The Paul Frank logo can be found on socks selling for fifty cents in markets throughout Beijing. On a side note: my girlfiend just purchased a brown mat for our cat that bears the Yves Saint Laurent logo.
This website is in development and will eventually acquire a unique design, but will still be updated daily. I beg you to tolerate the inconsistency of the design of stylites.net for the time being. Please do not let this deter you from checking back regularly. The essence of stylites.net is in the photos and words as well as the enterprises we represent.
3.3 is one of the many malls of Sanlitun, the formerly gritty and atmospheric, now increasingly malled-in section of Beijing. Despite the typically offensive structure in which it is housed, this mall offers a unique charm, since it is devoid of chain stores. The first floor features old-school Chinese gaudiness with the usual lace and glitter, but on the third floor is one of China’s few designer resale shops, specializing in apparel and accessories formerly used by celebrities. In the basement are some very cute craftsy places.
The forth floor is a twisted paradise of designer and trendy rags for men and the leading emporium of Chinese Paul Smith. Several stores specialize in shirts, bags, and ties in patterns and fabrics inspired by and using the label of the quirky British knight. The Paul Smith “replicas” are an excellent example of how Chinese counterfeiters go well beyond mere copying to actually imbibe the style of the original brand in their own new creations. Some of the Paul Smith “replicas” are of tolerable quality, though clearly not up to the original. As many Beijing fashionistas must be aware, “100% cotton” here tends to exhibit many of the, sweat-inducing, qualities of poly-blend fabrics after a few wearings, even if it does seem like cotton while on the rack. The fabric used for the Paul Smith dress shirts is, however, superior to that of the custom-made “100% cotton” shirts in Ya Xiu and Xiu Shui. Stay away from the fake Paul Smith shoes though, as the soles could bring orthopedic problems. More on fake Paul Smith later.
One of the more interesting shops catering to the designer clothing-addict without a trust fund is right and up from the escalator and offers Dior Homme, Yohji Yamamoto, Raf Simons, and other more cult (read: adored in Shibuya and appropriate for the Japanese physique) designer labels. Photographed here are the two shopkeepers. These replicas are produced in a Guangdong factory run by a Japanese man. Intended for export to Japan, some key samples nonetheless have surfaced in 3.3.
He goes by the name “Kele” – Chinese for coke (the drink) and hails from the great Northeast. Of course for Dsquared, you don’t need to go to 3.3, as it is more plentiful in Beijing than the Gap in suburbia.
May 31 2007 (00:23:00) US/Pacific ( 19 views )
He was in a hurry and didn’t have much time to chat. This was right by the Xiehe Hospital on Dongdan. I think this fellow looks great though – picky but relaxed – studied disheveledness but not in a preppy way. Tie with sneakers rarely works. (0) Comments | Post Comment
May 29 2007 (22:38:00) US/Pacific ( 26 views )
Stylites in Beijing will soon be moving to a permanent address: stylites.net. Before this move occurs, updates may be less frequent, so I ask you to bear with me. We have to try to make our new home stylish before moving in. It might be a sort of bohemian shack at first though.
Anyway, I will send notification when the next site is up and running.
May 29 2007 (22:26:00) US/Pacific ( 16 views )
Riding my bike out of the Candy Floss Cafe – one of Beijing’s best spots for sunny Sunday afternoon, I encountered this apparition. Judging by her gear, she is a much more serious photographer than I pretend to be. I adore women with colorful scarves. She was on her way to some kind of performance, apparently in the company of her mother.
May 25 2007 (01:32:00) US/Pacific ( 16 views )
This is my old friend Li Yuanli, an oil painter from Luoyang. I met him by the side of West Lake in Hangzhou. It was fate.
He was up visiting Beijing. We went to the art galleries at the Jiuchang (alcohol factory). This piece must be well-known.
May 25 2007 (01:07:00) US/Pacific ( 14 views )
A fellow who lives on the tenth floor of my building. We met him in the elevator. I don’t know how he managed to evade me for the last thirteen months. Perhaps the only interesting looking individual in the entire several-thousand-man-strong residential complex.
If you don’t live in China, you might not find this fellow exceptional.
But most of his contemporaries are extreme of dowdiness. They are pudgy little goons wearing brown polyester polo shirts with the playboy logo and sporting a comb-over and a pleather manbag. Styles like this just aren’t common in his generation.
Here we have John Travolta’s Grease hair-do with a late ’80s “our country just opened to the West” Chinese swoosh. He bought this pair of flared jeans sixteen years ago and has been wearing them since. I told him I thought he must be an artistic type, and he responded that he was just a normal working man.
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May 22 2007 (03:45:00) US/Pacific ( 18 views )
Rating Yang Fan as an artist is beyond my ability, but her paintings admirably depict the young Chinese girl dominated by materialism and faintly understood Westernized values.
These are beautiful girls whose ideals for fashion, physique, and sexual expression changed drastically in the space of a few years.
Life was service to family. It suddenly became the pursuit of pleasure.
These girls are much more stylish and attractive than the typical specimen you see just off the train at Beijing’s Central Station (right next to my work).
Yang Fan works can be viewed or purchased at the Linda Gallery. (0) Comments | Post Comment
May 21 2007 (02:48:00) US/Pacific ( 18 views )
I’m having trouble figuring out the livedigital system. (0) Comments | Post Comment
May 21 2007 (01:42:00) US/Pacific ( 17 views )
A young shop assistant at the Muxiyuan Fabric market.
A young hipster on Chaonei Avenue. He described himself as a freelancer, but his two, less stylish, friends said that he doesn’t have a job. His main inspiration is Japanese youth fashion and he buys rags at Xidan.
I was the person to tell him the meaning of this. He didn’t appear disappointed. (0) Comments | Post Comment
May 17 2007 (06:59:00) US/Pacific ( 13 views )
I may not go. How could it possibly be as charming as the old Vic’s?
Really. Ignore the packaging for a moment. A place isn’t made so much by the decor and music as by the wit and beauty of its clientale. It was a place with men of style and women of substance.
It’s amusing to recall the image in my mind when I first heard of Vic’s.
My New York friend, who had never actually been himself, suggested I go since he had heard it was THE place for expats in Beijing.
I imagined a Bogartesque owner, named Vic, nursing a scotch or maybe even a mint julep while his gaze lingered on a lovely Danish photographer just back from the Onon river in Mongolia. There would be a North Korean propoganda movie director, really a spy, aiming to befriend gullible but lovable Midwesterners in derby hats. A Japanese diplomat, somehow blending stiffness with affability, would be stroking his Siamese cat as he spoke perfect French with an aspiring actress just off the plane from Paris, trying to hide that she was from a village outside Toulouse and not the capital. The wife of an unnamed but utterly powerful CCP official would be present, but no one would be sure which of the elegant ladies was her.
The movie is not incredible, but the bar Ralph Fiennes opens in the White Countess would be nice in reality. I thought Vics would be a bit like that bar, with all of its intrigues and glamour.
Instead I got six high school students doing shots, two Chinese girls snorting coke for the first time in the bathroom, and some skinny Long Islanders hanging out upstairs, humping all the new arrivals.
Comments
Funny~ I think I have been to Vics twice. I gotta say I prefer the place across the street.
Posted by Pescatore on 05/18/2007 02:06:28 AM
Pesci, you came to Beijing without contacting me?
Posted by stylites on 05/18/2007 02:51:50 AM
May 17 2007 (02:54:00) US/Pacific ( 17 views )
This man could be anywhere in China. They are the dark dandies of urban streets. The hair cutters. The men who dare prance. Long, slim, shoes are essential.
This is at Chaonei South Street. To see really over-the-top hair cutters, you should head to Hangzhou.
May 16 2007 (10:46:00) US/Pacific ( 20 views )
Despite the thousands of people switching trains at Fuxingmen, I still spotted this guy, beyond the wall.
He’s a petite bourgeois who owns a clothing store.
Quite an appropriate image for Tom Meaney’s birthday – no? They would totally be friends.
We can do blazers in this cut, too, but the quality of the fabric and buttons would be far superior. I’ll even perform a complimentary lip piercing for you.
May 15 2007 (06:26:00) US/Pacific ( 18 views )
It is planning an IPO and Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey will have a share:
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/05/14/047649.html
Meanwhile, Carlyle might buy into Valentino, as this mid-sized luxury goods company seeks to remain competitive against titans like LVMH: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117918281371802514.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
May 15 2007 (04:52:00) US/Pacific ( 18 views )
The price range is 60,000-80,000 euros. Let’s pool our resources and acquire this delectable morsel. Who is interested?
For more information (registration is required but free):
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=159357773
May 15 2007 (02:19:00) US/Pacific ( 102 views )
All of a sudden, as I was walking out of the Willy Ronis photography exhibit at Beijing Capital Museum, everyone seemed to wearing suspenders. The thin suspenders with a tee shirt and skinny pants look was revived on the Dior Homme runway for the spring 2006 collection, but it has long been an emblem of various British rocker subcultures. The “skinheads” of Beijing adore prancing about in this style.
This fellow leads a band that frequently performs at the Nameless Highland. His shirt actually says “skinhead”, as do the tee-shirts of most Beijing skinheads.
This is the first woman I have seen in China wearing suspenders – and they are these very slim plaid ones. I noted that the dude that walked out of the exhibit right before her was also wearing suspenders, and she made clear that she had absolutely no connection with him and was following her own style muse. It was just a coincidence that there were two suspendered people walking out of the Willy Ronis exhibit at the same time. She is studying journalism and shops at Xidan mainly. She wanted my number.
Here shoes were in some ways more notable than her suspenders.
Below Hedi Slimane shows us that the thin suspenders look is best executed with a sleeveless shirt.
And white socks on display.
The two-tone shoes are also essential.
And a subtle cat reference in your trousers is never a minus. I tried to find a photo with a man wearing suspenders, but couldn’t, so here is the classic if you don’t recall Willy Ronis:
May 11 2007 (01:08:00) US/Pacific ( 14 views )
Has replaced “one size fits all” on many tee-shirts as waist-lines have expanded in the US.
May 08 2007 (08:31:00) US/Pacific ( 18 views )
China’s retail sales hit 320 billion yuan (42 billion U.S. dollars) during the May Day holidays, up 15.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The ministry said liquid crystal TV sets, jewelry, digital cameras, and fashion clothes were among the bestsellers.
The whole problem is that they don’t consume enough and the economy depends on exports, meaning US consumption. Put simply, China runs into trouble when the US economy dips, as it could be doing now. In the United States, the contribution of domestic consumption to growth is over three times the contribution of exports. International trade matters more to China than it does to the US.
When the contribution of domestic consumption to GDP in China is doubled or tripled that of exports, many key parts of China will be under water. When all Chinese consume at an American level, there will be much less oxygen and dry land on the planet. But humans always evolve. To leapfrog ahead in their conceptual thinking, young Chinese fashion designers need to showcase mandarin collar tees with slits in the side for gills. What will be the fashion in our “submerged future with Chinese characteristics”?
Comments
grammar mistakes notwithstanding, the last paragraph is the best thing I have read all day
Posted by pescatore on 05/09/2007 06:38:32 AM
Uh…those are all for effect. Thanks.
Posted by stylites on 05/09/2007 07:58:49 AM
The future is Waterworld with Chinese characteristics? A cheesey place, no doubt.
Posted by stylites on 05/09/2007 08:00:29 AM
Excellent blog article. Is the man or woman on the street concerned about becoming a throwaway society? Or is China still far from discarding last year’s fashions? Are they thinking of building and renting “storage units” so people can box and store years of unused but accumulated shoes, clothes and cheap furniture? Or can they still ship such unwanted items to the Chinese countryside or sell and give away to Africa? The problem of overconsumption has incrimental ramifications. Not all are in the government domain.
Posted by khavurta on 05/11/2007 03:30:05 AM
Obviously the wealthy and those aspiring to seem wealthy have a great antipathy toward used items. I would assume that there is a reluctant market for them in the countryside and among the urban poor. Solutions to the problems caused by overconsumption can always be transferred into the government domain in the form of taxes. However, society seems to reject environmental/consumption taxes and government doesn’t want them because they curb growth (leading to unempolyment and instability). Our vicious cyclic addiction to growth cannot stop, meanwhile the cost of environmental degradation is never allowed to figure in. It’s more than just the environment – the cost of all things long term are irrelevant in the growth equation. But there is no point in being an irrational activist. There are reasons growth can’t stop. Well, in this way Europe seems to have a more durable model. It’s too bad demographics will forestall the development of a European century.
Posted by stylites on 05/11/2007 08:53:31 AM
These leggings are a hot thing. Widening horizontal stripes are good for slim Chinese people and they are everywhere now. If you want a sailor or prison style shirt, come to China. They were out shopping with their two boyfriends, both owners of clothing shops nearby.
May 07 2007 (04:26:00) US/Pacific ( 16 views )
The Air Jordan 1 XQ China Edition will be available exclusively on the Chinese main June 1. Styling highlights include dragon inspired patterns, laser designs, and use of silk material.
A large demographic will rush to welcome this riveting new style with collectors hoarding the limited supplies of the original. To beat the lines, try fine boutiques in Xidan or 3.3 offering “replicas” in advance of the June 1 release date.
May 07 2007 (01:21:00) US/Pacific ( 23 views )
She is a photography student who was out with friends at 798 art district on Saturday.
No chance to ask for her inspirations. I’m going to get a camera like hers.
May 01 2007 (14:00:00) US/Pacific ( 15 views )
Nearly every high school student in Beijing wears these pants, but I didn’t realize this when I saw the girl wearing them.
Standing in from of the Xiehe Hospital on Dongdan.
April 30 2007 (06:53:00) US/Pacific ( 15 views )
This fellow was looking tough in Nanzhugan Hutong: He buys his rags at Xidan. His shoes are also from Xidan, and are made, he reports, by the brand Adidas.
April 24 2007 (03:26:00) US/Pacific ( 22 views )
This is an artist from Qinhuangdao, in Hebei province. He was taking his daughter through the Long March Space at 798.
Do they support the troops?
April 24 2007 (03:19:00) US/Pacific ( 8 views )
It’s always reassuring to slip into a pair of size 32s when your waist measures 36. However, the Chinese government will not allow the common practice of brands understating the measurements of the waists on trousers:
April 24 2007 (03:00:00) US/Pacific ( 7 views )
C&A, the Netherlands based rival of H&M and Zara, is coming to Beijing and Shanghai this year.
They have no outlets in the US, perhaps because their style of clothing is not quite as “Euro-chic” as Zara, etc. They would run into direct competition with GAP. GAP is the world’s forth major fashion retail chain, and they still do not have plans to enter the China market. Maybe their clothes are too baggy for Chinese people, and it’s not worth producing a whole new line for this market.
In fact, it is interesting that all sources note that GAP has no presence in China, because up until two years ago there was a GAP as well as a Banana Republic (subsidiary of GAP) at the former Xidan Times Square, now called Maison Mode (and home to Gucci and other royalty). These two shops must have been operated through an agency. Maybe they were unsuccessful and that is why GAP is hesitant to enter this market.
To be frank, the style of C&A is a bit lame. That is not to say that it won’t catch on here, but I get the feeling that Chinese people really study the runway and hope to emulate its looks, hence the success of Zara. C&A may be competing with the likes of Baleno, JeansWest, Giordano and Metersbonwe – all distinguished local chains with a startlingly dull take on casual fashion.
Comments
“distinguished local chains with a startlingly dull take on casual fashion” Most if not all are HK chains IIRC?
Posted by Pescatore on 04/25/2007 02:34:04 AM
“distinguished local chains with a startlingly dull take on casual fashion” Most if not all are HK chains IIRC?
Posted by Pescatore on 04/25/2007 02:35:40 AM
Yeah, you’re actually right. But they still seem “local” in their sensibilities – maybe “local” meaning global boring-casual.
Posted by stylites on 04/26/2007 06:54:07 AM
April 23 2007 (08:32:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
“To appear well dressed, be skinny and tall.†— Mason Cooley
Being handsome helps, too.
Look below for the daily photos.
(0) Comments | Post Comment
April 23 2007 (02:22:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
At least not until haute couture runway shows come here:
“You can’t get emergency touchups from the workshop to the runway in a matter of minutes when you’re in Beijing.” Read the rest: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=73911.
What remains of the hand-crafted couture in Paris.
April 23 2007 (01:42:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
This guy is working with limited resources, on several fronts (money, exposure to global fashion trends, transport beyond feet and tricycle, etc.).
However, there is something about the eagerness to pose, and the swagger of this young fellow that made him Irresistible. I wish every stylish person was walking in front of this blue barrier, since it is a nice backdrop. This is just the type of person I would like to find more often. If you live here in China, his spirit and style might be old news, but I believe that this sort of attempt should be documented.
He was in front of a construction site in the hutongs south of Pingan Dajie. I would recommend a walk through that area as soon as possible.
I wonder if he would be interested in making a suit.
April 20 2007 (01:44:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
Guess is opening its first store on the mainland tonight:
“Tonight, a grand inauguration party will be held at the Infiniti Mall on Huaihai Road M., where Guess opens its Shanghai flagship store, celebrating the American denim pioneer’s official landing on the vast Chinese market – that’s why Marciano is on his second trip to the city.
The company plans to open about 30 stores in China by the end of this year, 13 in Shanghai, 11 in Beijing, three in Hong Kong and a few more in Macau. The number is expected to expand to 55 by the end of 2008.”
Read the rest:
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200704/20070420/article_313275.htm
The new Guess girl (Anna Nicole Smith launched her career by being a Guess girl) is going to be Chinese.
The article doesn’t mention that fake Guess products are already widely available on the mainland, but they are right to be sanguine about success here. The Guess look seems well-adapted to local style sensibilities. Guess’ cheaply baroque sexiness will have many takers. It will also help if they made sure to pick a Guess girl with big double-fold eyes.
“Guess” gets 16810 hits on taobao. I’m not certain that all of these are attempting to be the Guess that we know and love from the States, but the samples I have looked at seem to be.
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/0/t-95—————–g,m52wk43t—————-40-list-commend-0-all-0.htm
Comments
Alright then, maybe 1 store in Plaza 66, one store in Huaihai, 1 store in Xintiandi, 1 store in Xujiahui… ok that i could see… but 13-stores-is-a-fricken-lot when you are dealing with a market that is full of fakes and has minimal consumer differentiation is it not? Maybe I missed something? Why do I think this decision was made with the help of large amounts of yay and bubbly?
Posted by namrehsif on 04/20/2007 04:15:52 AM
Yeah, I hadn’t really reflected on that. And this is supposed to be by the end of this year. Hahaha. So guess would be the major foreign apparel chain in China after that. Hmmmm. Of all of the major US chains, it actually seems closest in style to the glitzy dross that most Chinese women already wear, so why would they pay extra for a somewhat mediocre brandname?
Posted by stylites on 04/20/2007 04:28:42 AM
April 19 2007 (07:30:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
Last week, François Pinault, one of France’s richest men and the head of PPR, the world’s second largest luxury conglomerate after LVMH, denounced what he called France’s “Social Marxist culture.”
It’s not suprising that he or other CEOs would say this, as they relocate their production lines to China. I believe the French are the only electorate that understands what globalization means for citizens of the developed world.
Comments
It’s dated 1 January ’04? I am surprised those boots didnt make a bigger splash in the Paris of the East, which has a fairly solid track record of being obsessed with all things LV…maybe the colour being different threw things out of whack…
Posted by namrehsif on 04/19/2007 10:49:48 AM
April 18 2007 (05:34:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
Chinese luxury good consumers will only wear Mandarin Collars after they are seen on Western fashion luminaries, according to this:
http://www.businessweek.com/print/globalbiz/content/apr2007/gb20070417_585340.htm
That is just one piece in the enigmatic puzzle that is the taste of Chinese consumers.
Comments
Interesting article. My first thought is that, in most cases, ‘China inspired fashion’ doesn’t sell in China. In the PRC, one tends to occasionally see ‘old chinese style’ ma gua and qipao stuff, and then there is also the communist-era clothing. The first style tends to make everyone look as though they are either someone going to a wedding, an idiot foreigner going out for a friday night on a dive bar street, or possibly, in the case of a qipao, a restaurant hostess, and I think that right now (speaking with regard to Shanghai), no self respecting person would wear such things on the high street in the light of day. The second type of ‘Chinese’ clothing one also tends to see are the post-revolution big bulky jackets, workmen’s hats and cloth shoes. Once again, no young trendy person (in Shanghai) would wear such things, as they are generally the garb of those 60 and older and physical laborers. Something along the same vein that I have seen as being popular with a certain type of college student is the ‘Wei Renmin Fuwu’ messenger bag/’Comrade Lei Feng’ T-shirt, but again most self respecting people will not wear such things. In closing I would say that Shanghai Tang is probably taking the right tack by using subtle rather than over the top Chinese inspiration for their clothes…good luck to them in making it work in the mainland.
Posted by namrehsif on 04/19/2007 02:53:48 AM
one addendum to the above: PLA green overcoats are awesome
Posted by namrehsif on 04/19/2007 02:57:01 AM
I would love to open a larger discussion of how Chinese fashion influences (and enters) mainstream global fashion. There are so many ways. What the commenter above says about the need to be subtle is on target. I would add to that by saying that the concept is important rather than the details. Collections that capture the essence of “Chineseness” are more successful than those that blatantly pick up Chinese elements like the collar or the tired old pop references to communism. Those collections that use poems, philosophical tracts, and paintings as inspiration for the ethos they are creating tend to be more aesthetically pleasing.
Posted by stylites on 04/19/2007 05:33:47 AM
April 16 2007 (07:56:00) US/Pacific ( 5 views )
No angst, no evil, no frustration – these are not rebellious youths trying to shed darkness on their society. These were typical upbeat Qinghua girls eager to show off their English skills and their unique take on fashion.
April 16 2007 (07:49:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
I brought back this bottle from France:
Here it is sitting by a haw, fruit-roll-up. You probably know about Vin de Pays. This particular bottle cost 79 Euro cents. According to Yuanyuan it tasted like its price, but I thought it was fine. Her senses of sight, taste, and smell are all more refined than mine though.
My sense of inebriation was alright. Which is classier the wine or my way of drinking it?
The obligatory crash into college girls out for a Sunday boat ride followed…But it wasn’t captured on film.
The walk around Beihai was nice.
This was a random girl walking through Beihai. She apparently comes through the park every Sunday to burn incense by an unmarked patch of grass where her great-great-grandmother is said to be buried. This woman was the court quicksand maker during the reign of Emperor Xianfeng.
And I left Beihai, not having offended the spirits of the court eunuchs in any truly unforgivable ways.
April 16 2007 (02:38:00) US/Pacific ( 5 views )
China’s global luxury brand workshop
By Olivia Chung
HONG KONG – Don’t be surprised if you find the Prada, Armani or Burberry products you are wearing are made in China. Goods “Made in China” are no longer limited to cheap, low-end products. More and more brand-name luxury consumer goods are made in this “world’s workshop”, largely because of growing domestic demand as more and more Chinese can afford them.
According to a report by the World Luxury Association, more and more brand-name luxury goods are shifting their production to China. It expects that 60% of the world’s luxury brands will have
their products made in the country by 2009.
“This will be largely driven by the booming demand for luxury products by consumers in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China,” Ouyang Kun, representative of the association in China, was quoted as saying in China Daily.
He said the demand for such products in China was increasing by 15% annually. At present, the demand for luxury goods in China has already surpassed the manufacturing capacity of European makers by about 60%; therefore, they have had to shift their production to China, where labor and other costs are relatively low. In addition, this saves them the cost of shipping.
Sales in China’s luxury market hit US$2 billion in 2004, making it the world’s third-largest consumer of luxury goods, after Japan and the United States, according to a report by Ernst & Young. The report predicts that the market will grow by 20% each year until 2008 and then 10% annually to 2015, when sales are expected to exceed $11.5 billion.
Au Kin-fan, associate director of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing, said seeing their competitors, one after another, shifting production to China’s low-cost environment to maximize profit forced other luxurious-goods makers to follow suit.
“However, foreign manufacturers usually shift part of their production line to China to cater for the growing demand there and keep their production bases in their home countries or other places to meet the global demand,” he said.
Foreign luxury-goods manufacturers started to shift part of their production line to China in 2004, and products made in China with foreign labels have flooded the Chinese market since 2005, said Ouyang: “Some luxury brands claim all of their products are made at home, but 60% of them are actually made in China.”
So far a number of fashion brands have gone public about shifting their production to China or have announced plans to do so. They include Pierre Cardin, Burberry, Armani, Prada and Furla.
The Chinese media have reported that French fashion brand Louis Vuitton plans to set up a production base in Zhejiang province this year. However, Janie Zhuang, public relations executive at Louis Vuitton China, said the firm does not produce any products in China at this time, nor does it have any plan to do so in the near future.
Au said one of the reasons for the international fashion brands keeping a low profile when shifting their production to China is the negative image of goods “Made in China”, which are often regarded as low-cost, low-quality products.
To avoid the possible negative impact on the brand value of their products, foreign manufacturers proceed with caution even if they shift only part of their production to China. For instance, their Chinese partners are assigned to produce mid-end products, or products made in China are sold under other brand names.
However, as globalization progresses, it’s not surprising to see a growing number of goods being made in more than one country before being put on the market. The nationality of a brand no longer has much to do with where the product is made.
Patrizio Bertelli, chief executive of Prada, has said that if his firm’s products were made in 10 countries, they should be labeled “Made by Prada” to give the brand the freedom to produce wherever it was thought appropriate.
This is because the most important aspects are design, quality and marketing – the production can take place anywhere, Au explained.
Au said more and more brands will relocate part of their production to China as other markets become saturated. Famous brands are struggling with a dilemma: the temptation to cut costs by shifting production to China and the sense of exclusivity that customers demand.
“Due to historical factors, it will take a long time for consumers to change their perception of the ‘Made in China’ label to a positive concept of being highly desirable from the existing perception of substandard quality,” Au said.
Before China began its market-economy reforms, factory workers were paid equally and there were no bonuses or rewards for superior performance, so whether the products were good or not did not matter to them, which led to serious quality problems. This attitude toward quality still persists to some degree.
According to China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, of about 9,000 goods that its quality inspectors sampled in the first six months of last year, 78% were found to comply with the relevant safety rules.
“To enable luxury brands with the ‘Made in China’ label to be well received, China needs stricter quality-control procedures, not to mention better technical and management skills,” Au said. “Quality control is key in every market.”
To illustrate how important quality control is, Au cited as examples some products of well-known fashion houses Armani, MaxMara, Burberry and Ermenegildo Zegna that failed to pass a quality inspection in China last year.
“This not only tells us that high price may not necessarily link to high quality, but also that international fashion makers are adopting a double standard when marketing their products in different countries,” he said.
“As China and other new and emerging countries for the fashion brands are only the mid-end markets, in order to capture a bigger market share, they mass produce and sell the products at not-so-high prices, so the brand products are of not-so-good quality,” he said.
However, Au stressed that where human health is concerned, the international brands should not employ a “double standard”.
In an examination carried out by the Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce last year, brands’ dresses, suits, coats and pants were found to be substandard. Problems included high levels of formaldehyde, a chemical that can cause cancer, unacceptable acid levels and poor dyes.
In addition to quality-control measures initiated by manufacturers themselves, China’s authorities should also improve health and safety regulations for all kinds of consumer products, which could help improve the average quality of the country’s exports and transform the “Made in China” image into something desirable, Au said.
As the major brands outsource production to almost every corner of the world, quality control could be a problem, so there is a need to increase consumer awareness of the need to make the right choices when shopping.
As for the “Made in China” label, Au said many makers of international brand-name products flocking to China in recent years have been quite satisfied with Chinese firms’ quality of production, reliability and management. It is, he said, time for the world’s consumers to take a new look at the “Made in China” label.
“With more overseas tourists coming to China, they will learn more about the great progress the country has been making and [have more] confidence in products made in China,” he said.
Olivia Chung is a senior Asia Times Online reporter.
Comments
Ha, Ha, I told you less than 6 mos ago that China would be producing high end goods because now they have the skills and the market is there too. You are right to want to be paid in yuan.
Posted by khavurta on 04/17/2007 01:20:51 AM
April 12 2007 (07:35:00) US/Pacific ( 6 views )
Bold young designer Alison Mary Ching Yeung launched pricey “made-in-China” shoes named called “Imperial Funk,” all with purple leather soles. Snakeskin high heels are trimmed with mink – Yeung calls them “lush, powerful, yet fragile,” writes Michelle Zhang
Purple is Alison Mary Ching Yeung’s favorite color. The half-English, half-Chinese young lady wears no makeup, but has streaked her fringes purple.
According to Yeung, purple was the imperial color of the Chinese emperor, and represents opulence and decadence. The mysterious color, a combination of blue and red, is prevalent in the shoe designer’s first collection for autumn and winter: All the leather soles are purple. And she has named it “Imperial Punk.”
A capsule collection of 16 styles of sexy, glamorous shoes captures the eye immediately, possibly the soul, and perhaps eventually the wallet, when people step into the young designer’s spacious studio on Wulumuqi Road S.
“I started the collection drawing on scrolls and rice paper using ink,” she says. “I have been collecting imagery of Chinese emperors, lotus shoes, ceramics and furniture while absorbing the architecture and daily life in Shanghai. Then I contrasted the research with a fascination with punk fashion and pop art.”
Bearing the label “Mary Ching,” they come from a dark, plain palette of black, slate gray, chocolate brown and China red with exquisite and playful details.
For example, inspired by the penny loafer, the “Mao Loafer” is studded with Chinese one-jiao coins. A pair of simple flats is decorated with letters but when the right and left are placed side by side, they read “Shanghai.”
Yeung’s personal favorite is the “Empress Pearl,” a pair of fancy high-heels of snakeskin trimmed with mink. “Lush, powerful yet fragile,” she calls them.
Prices, however, range from US$260 to US$750, quite expensive for a starter in the industry. The 28-year-old is confident and ambitious: “I want to create the first international luxury shoe brand that is ‘made in China.”
She also wants to correct people’s association of the “made-in-China” label with shoddy, inferior products.
In fact, the “Mary Ching” brand philosophy is based on the belief that there will be a shift in perspective over the next 10 to 15 years towards a positive concept of “made in China” being highly desirable.
“People always presume that things ‘made in China’ are of poor quality, which is not true,” she says. “All my shoes are hand-made in China. When people see my collection, they are amazed by the quality.
“More and more luxury productions are reallocating to China and the customer is becoming more aware of this trend,” she adds.
The idea is to create shoes that combine the Asian aesthetic and European styles, using the finest materials from Italy and the local market, and are made with the top craftsmanship in China.
Yeung moved to Shanghai a year and a half ago as she saw vast possibilities in the market.
“Since I was a little girl, I have always dreamed of having my own fashion label one day,” she recalls. “So here I am now, working on fashion and following my dream.
“I think Shanghai is such an exciting city that the future of fashion is here,” she continues. “It is unlike any other major cities such as Paris, London and New York, where the fashion scene has already been established.”
And with white- and gold-collar income booming, she says, people are more likely to spend on brands and quality.
A graduate of the University of London’s King’s College in Business Management and Central Saint Martin’s in Fashion Design, Yeung understands both fashion and business. Not only has she worked with leading designers such as Julian Mcdonald, Hussein Chalayan and Ozwald Boateng, but she also worked as an investment associate at a London-based private equity firm, where she focused on the fashion industry.
The hard-working entrepreneur is meeting with interested buyers these days and has already framed a solid business development plan.
According to the plan, the “Mary Ching” label will be officially launched in September in the city. She plans to distribute it nationwide and expand gradually to other parts of Asia. The long-term plan is to bring the label back to her roots in UK and maybe one day to present it in United States. “I would like to create a ‘Chingdom’ one day,” she says, giggling.
Comments
Sounds tacky, but I guess you would have to see the goods to make a real decision. Will it sell? I don’t think I could see a person who can afford to pay $250 and up for a pair of shoes purchasing a pair of shoes covered with 1-jiao coins.
Posted by namrehsif on 04/12/2007 08:13:22 AM
You can get a quick glimpse of the “Imperial Punk” collection on Mary Ching’s website: http://www.marychingshanghai.com Personally, I can only say that I envy this designer’s obvious confidence and optimism. Some people are born with both qualities – a blessing in disguise sometimes.
Posted by Y Y on 04/13/2007 08:04:05 AM
YY seems to always leave subtly clever comments.
Posted by stylites on 04/13/2007 08:07:38 AM
and thanks for the link. This designer’s attitude has the key elements of success for young sino-foreign entrepreneurs making it in the new China.
Posted by stylites on 04/13/2007 08:11:18 AM
April 11 2007 (02:02:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
(Shanghaidaily.com)
Updated: 2007-04-10 11:33
While Asians crave designer labels – often the name over the product – Swedish giant H&M successfully offers low-cost fashion for everyone. And it has just moved to China to prove that consumers are the same everywhere. Are they?
This undated photo shows two pedestrians pass by a big poster of Swedish giant H&M in Shanghai.[Photo:shanghaidaily.com]Asia is about to change,” declares Swedish fashion giant H&M as it finally expands to Asia – Shanghai next week – bringing its style of cheap and chic that has come to be accepted and admired by millions in Europe and America.
The Stockholm-based cut-price retailer opened its first store on the world’s most densely populated continent a month ago in Hong Kong. It opens two stores in Shanghai this month.
One store opens next Thursday in the former Benetton building on Huaihai Road M. and the other at the Superbrand Mall in Pudong on April 26.
But the big launch party for Asia and China will be in Shanghai next Wednesday night – not in Hong Kong.
Asia is known for its taste for luxury and designer brands among young professionals, but H&M hopes to change that, or at least hopes that the wardrobes for Asian men, women, teens and children will include a wide selection of its stylish apparel.
The H&M message is that trendy, stylish and tasteful doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
“We believe that design is not a matter of price,” says Rolf Eriksen, CEO of H&M. “Our fashion is created for everyone.”
However, the launch party is clearly not for everyone. Coveted tickets to the event at Pudong’s Science and Technology Museum are sought by every fashion enthusiast in town.
Unlike Zara, which celebrated its flagship store opening in a rather low-key way, H&M plans to throw a huge, one-of-a-kind party. Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue has been invited to make her debut on the Chinese mainland, promoting “H&M loves Kylie,” a limited beachwear line.
According to Eriksen, H&M spends about three percent of its annual turnover on advertisements in one market.
From the amount of money the company is going to spend on the party – and what it has spent on the gigantic billboards suddenly flooding the city – its expectation for the Chinese market is obvious.
“China is a strategic and exciting market with great fashion awareness and spending power,” he says.
“We therefore see a vast potential for expansion.”
As one of the world’s leading apparel retailers, H&M has chosen China to lead its development in Asia.
Apart from its first store in Hong Kong and two in Shanghai, another three will open in Hong Kong by the end of the year. The first store in Japan will open in Tokyo in 2008.
“Looking into the future, we think it’s necessary to enter new markets,” says CEO Erikson. “We chose Hong Kong and Shanghai because we are familiar with the two cities, where we have our production offices present for 30 years and 25 years respectively.
“It’s a big step for us to enter the Far East,” he continues. “The Asian market is huge. It could be one of the key markets for H&M in the future. However, we prefer to start slowly and plan carefully for further expansions.”
He says the company has learned a lot in the US market, where it opened its first emporium on Fifth Avenue in New York City seven years ago. The Manhattan store was such a success that the company thought it could open much bigger stores in the US than in Europe.
“We did make some mistakes with the US market at the very beginning,” he says.
“The stores we opened at that time were too big, which brought about problems. We changed our strategies and have also gradually learned how to operate long distance business from the US market.”
The ideal development mode in China would be operating a couple of stores to collect necessary market information first.
Shanghai, or “China’s Paris” as Eriksen puts it, will be the center. The company will consider moving to other cities after the Shanghai market is established.
“We are not in a rush,” the CEO emphasizes. “The most important thing is to make sure that Chinese customers like H&M. We believe that fashion behavior is the same all over the world, be it Paris or New York, Hong Kong or Shanghai.”
H&M, the second-largest clothing retailer in Europe, will compete in the surging local retail market with Spain’s Zara and Mango, Germany’s C&A as well as a raft of local brands such as the Hong Kong-based Esprit.
“Just like fashion, competition is worldwide,” Eriksen says. “Every time we enter a new country, there will be local competitors and worldwide competitors.
“Our business idea is to offer the customers fashion and quality at the best price. We understand the customers would like to see our competitors around us. It’s up to them to judge which they prefer.”
April 06 2007 (10:11:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
Last Monday, Benny from Beijing Radio’s English language service interviewed me about this blog. The interview will be on air between 8pm and 8:30pm on Monday (4/9) and Tuesday (4/16).
The frequency is am774.
You can also listen to it on the website: www.bjradio.com.cn. Click on 外è¯å¹¿æ’ on the blue board that is toward the right side of the page.
I had the honor of being the first interviewee in this series on foreigners based in Beijing who blog.
On US ebay, there are 534 entries for “Paul Smith” in Men’s Clothing, accessories, and shoes. I believe that many of the items selling here are fakes or over-production made in China.
On Taobao.com, China’s premier online retail site, there are 15,729 entries for “Paul Smith” in the same categories. Almost all of these entries are for multiple items – that is you can pick the size, style, etc.
Needless to say there are far more retail points at which Paul Smith products can be purchased in the US than in China.
April 03 2007 (02:20:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
In a city with such fine wines, I still chose what I know and hate. I need more of a kick to take me through a day of sightseeing.
I think this came out alright.
Yuanyuan made a lovely dinner in our cute little flat in Les Halles. Sancerre is a very common but good white wine in France. It is impossible to find it here so I brought several bottles back in my luggage.
April 02 2007 (06:59:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
Finally, the newest Erguotou series from Paris.
Xiao’er before Notre Dame
Xiao’er & Jardin Luxembourg
March 30 2007 (03:14:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
I’m sure you all noticed but Beijing’s lone tolerable stretch of turf made it into the NYT. I’ve met the guy who wrote this. This and 798 are the two spots in Beijing.
Back-Street Beijing By MIKE MEYER
As the city prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing‘s historic lanes, or hutongs, are disappearing in a dust cloud of new construction. But South Gong and Drum Lane (Nan Luoguxiang) is an exception. Near the central lakes, the 700-year-old hutong is a bit of authentic bohemia in an otherwise Starbucks-saturated central city.
One of the lane’s pioneers, Pass By Bar (No. 108; 011-86-10-8403-8004), was opened in 1999 by Xiao Biar, whose shaved head and Coke-bottle specs make him instantly recognizable on his bar-stool perch. The original local clientele has given way to affluent Chinese and foreign hipsters drawn to the open courtyard seating and the soundtrack of Tibetan drums. Pass By’s success has spawned a sequel, the posh Pass By Restaurant (1) (No. 114; 011-86-10-6400-6868; entrees $10 to $15), which serves salads, fresh fish and perhaps the capital’s only veal piccata.
As a planned showcase for the Games, the lane was repaved last year with gray bricks, and storefronts were ordered repainted — with one xception, the hulking concrete Central Academy of Drama (2) (No. 39; 011-86-10-6403-5626), which stages nighttime performances. (Check the signs, posted in English.) Take in the youthful scene at the nameless (and phoneless) restaurant (3) opposite the school’s gate, where students congregate over bowls of hand-pulled noodles. Though there are dozens of newer restaurants and bars, two stalwarts continue to impress. Drum and Gong (4) (No. 102; 011-86-10-8402-4729; entrees $3 to $10) serves spicy Sichuan-style dishes, and across the lane, Here Cafe (5) (No. 97; 011-86-10-8401-4246) has plush sofas, freshly ground coffee and free Wi-Fi.
Unlike on the hutongs surrounding the central lake district, you won’t find tchotchkes like cloisonné eggs and stuffed Olympic mascots for sale here. Plastered T-Shirts (6) (No. 61; 011-86-10-1348-884-8855) specializes in tees with the logos of Beijing’s taxis and subway, and Yanjing beer. Also check out Minzu Feng (No. 56; 011-86-10-8205-0226) for folk-inspired women’s clothing and Jmax (No. 17-4; 011-86-134-6666-2024) for handmade silver necklaces.
Architecture buffs should head 100 yards east on Juer Hutong (Chrysanthemum Lane) to see its World Habitat Award-winning housing project, which used modern materials to reproduce traditional courtyard living. Though Beijing’s lanes are being replaced by car-friendly streets and high-rises, the design was praised locally, staking a claim for responsible development in a 21st-century city.
March 30 2007 (01:43:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
Thanks to John Kramer for sending me this piece. Trend spotting would be a great job. I wonder if high waisted jeans will be in for men.
Spotting the Next Hoodie
Fashion Increasingly Relies
On Trends From the Streets;
Spying Raccoon Hats in SoHo
By VANESSA O’CONNELL
March 29, 2007; Page D1
Standing near a cluster of bars at the corner of Red River and East 6th streets in Austin, Texas, earlier this month, Helen Job grew anxious about denim. She had spent four days in the hip college town, trying to determine whether a new look was catching on.
After seeing mostly skinny jeans, which she believes are on their way out, Ms. Job finally spotted a young woman in a T-shirt and high-waisted, straight-legged jeans. The sighting was further confirmation of a trend her colleagues at Worth Global Style Network had already documented on the streets of Scandinavia, Europe and Japan and in stores in Paris and London. “Give it about six weeks,” she said, “and all the New York stores will have them in the windows.”
Ms. Job is one of the fashion industry’s secret weapons. As U.S. editor of WGSN, a fashion-consulting service, she is one of a growing number of third-party researchers who go out into the streets to get an early look at emerging styles and to find out where young people are shopping. A competing service, Doneger Group, has increased the number of employees dedicated to so-called trend spotting by 50% to 120 people in the past five years. The 30-year-old Ms. Job even teaches a class on trend spotting to fashion-merchandising students at Parsons The New School for Design.
The role of trend spotters — sometimes also called cool hunters — has grown in importance as the fashion cycle has speeded up. Desperate for an edge in a lackluster market, apparel makers and retailers increasingly are seeking help in quickly sorting through competing trends. Trend spotters can help mass merchandisers figure out which nascent trends from chic boutiques or even thrift stores might be hot sellers on a wider scale.
Street style has become an important source of inspiration for retailers eager to lure shoppers with a taste for “fast fashion” at chains like H&M and Zara. Many chains have their own in-house trend spotters. Store inventory is also turning over more quickly, as retailers strive to refresh the merchandise on their racks. At Nordstrom Inc., for instance, inventory turned over 5.06 times last year, compared with 3.7 times in 2001.
These consultants work in different ways, but many produce slick, periodic reports — often focused on key looks, such as accessories — which they sell to mass retailers, apparel manufacturers and designers. Ms. Job says her photos are used by clients such as Levi Strauss, Liz Claiborne, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and Polo Ralph Lauren.
Many trend spotters focus almost entirely on young people on the theory that they have an impact on the broader fashion scene. “A lot of the people we buy from are the people who are interpreting the street trends, they are just doing it at a higher-level quality,” says Julie Gilhart, fashion director at Barneys New York.
“There is the longstanding debate of what influences what. Does the street influence high fashion or does fashion influence the street?” says Michael Macko, vice president for men’s fashion at Saks Fifth Avenue. He for one, is “always fascinated” by street fashion.
The recent rise of the men’s all-over-print hoodie, or hooded jacket, shows how street trends spread. The Japanese urban streetwear chain A Bathing Ape helped push the look into the U.S. from Tokyo acouple of seasons ago, prompting small retailers like
Union in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, Barneys Co-op and Internet stores such as Hypebeast and Karmaloop to start selling their own versions. Soon, print hoodies were showing up in hip magazines such as Complex and Nylon and hip-hop videos. Over the past six months, more mainstream designers and apparel makers picked up the style, which is now widely available.
Equally important to identifying trends, is figuring out when they are over. Tim Bess, the 41-year-old menswear street-style guru for fashion consultancy Doneger Group, studies men ages 18 to 26. Sometimes he brings along the young woman who works as his assistant to help break the ice.
On Saturday, he roamed the streets of SoHo and Harlem in New York. He chatted briefly with several sharply dressed kids, two of whom wore printed hoodies, and checked the window displays of influential boutiques. His conclusion: The printed hoodie trend still has legs, but won’t last much longer. Some guys on the street had already moved on to a more “cleaned up” look of solid shirts and jeans with little or no detailing.
Another sign: Mr. Bess spotted a printed hoodie on a scruffy middle-aged man walking by. “You can tell when a trend sort of moves on,” he said. “When you start seeing people who shouldn’t be wearing a certain brand or look, that’s when it’s over.”
In SoHo, Mr. Bess stopped to chat with a group of about 10 young men in vintage 1980s garb, including big gold chains. Mr. Bess has worked with these men before, bringing them into his office to pose for one of his street reports. Calling themselves the “Retro Kids,” they say they try to promote 1980s style. “It’s easy to start something new,” said one man in the group, Ladaz Marshall, age 20. “Anybody can do it.”
Up in Harlem, Mr. Bess admired the outfit of one young shopper, Xavier “Ozve” Peña, age 19. Mr. Peña was wearing slim-cut jeans and a Kidrobot all-over-print hoodie. “What are your favorite Web sites?” asked Mr. Bess. “Do you go to Karmaloop?” The young man said he got his jeans at a New York outpost of the Japanese chain Uniqlo.
For next year, Mr. Bess predicts a shift to a ’90s grunge style. Some boutiques, he noted, have begun carrying plaid and flannel shirts.
It’s getting tougher to figure out where to find fashionable folks. In the 1970s and 1980s, trend spotters trawled the boutiques of St. Tropez, France, after the Paris fashion shows, in search of emerging labels. Some still swear by the French resort when it comes to resort or cruise wear.
But trendy neighborhoods are constantly shifting today. Trend spotters now attend rock music festivals in Denmark and Scotland, and trek off to Colombia, Brazil and Istanbul. Barbara Fields, who runs her own trend-spotting firm, travels monthly to the streets of London, Barcelona, Tokyo or Seoul, and says lately one of her best tactics has been taking photos of young people on the streets of the Harajuku district in Tokyo. Based on what she’s seen there, she believes fur-trimmed hooded athletic jackets will be an emerging trend for fall, along with wide-leg pants with a diameter of 24 inches to 33 inches, among other styles.
Janine Blain, head of Doneger Group’s Los Angeles office, meanwhile, recently began dividing up her presentations according to where the photos were shot: Third Street in Los Angeles or Malibu/Santa Monica, for example. She sees a movement away from “girly” styles to an “alpha male” look of structured women’s jackets and pants in menswear fabrics.
This week, WGSN’s Ms. Job sorted through more than 400 pictures she took in Austin, putting together groupings of three to six shots that illustrate a trend for her “trend flashes” — short reports that she will produce once a week for the next three weeks. In addition to high-waisted jeans, which she has noticed since at an H&M store in New York, she plans to focus on Ray-Ban Wayfarer-style sunglasses and the trapper-style raccoon hat that several young women were wearing.
Comments
>Based on what she’s seen there, she believes fur->trimmed hooded athletic jackets will be an emerging >trend for fall, That is last year’s style in Japan IIRC I wonder where the originality is coming from as it seems that often this idea of finding new trends is rather circular, with US designers copying Japanese designs that were themselves inspired by UK/US/French fashion…
Posted by Pescatore on 04/02/2007 04:10:29 AM
I think there is a certain dearth of originality in the world of fashion. Do you think it is a field that requires originality? Or perhaps any originality in it must emerge from the street.
Posted by stylites on 04/02/2007 05:38:13 AM
March 16 2007 (09:02:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
We are pleased to announce a special offer for this Saturday (March 17) to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and welcome (or beckon) the arrival of spring. We are also extending the offer to Sunday (March 18). With the coming of warmer weather, it will be time to shed that cashmere cardigan. The article of clothing most on display in spring and summer will be your shirt.
Consequently, on these two days we will present a complimentary custom dress shirt with any order of a suit made from our selection of British fabrics. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the superior fit and quality of a Senli and Frye shirt. We are delighted to make it in the style that you like, whether it be Dior Homme, Saville Row, or the Great Gatsby. If you or any of your friends have been waiting to order the perfect suit – the best Beijing has to offer – this would be the time to come to our shop. British fabric is our speciality and we have one of the most extensive selections of it in Beijing. Prices for suits made from our British fabrics range from RMB 2,500 to 7,800 for men and 2,000 to 6,000 for women. Materials are 100% wools (s100-s150), cashmere/wool blends, cashmere/wool/mink blends, and Scottish tweeds (in wool or wool/cashmere blends). At each pricepoint, there is a wide range of choices in terms of weights, patterns, weaves, and colors. Please contact me at 13910092410 if you would like to schedule an appointment. (0) Comments | Post Comment
March 15 2007 (03:25:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
This is good timing. Hopefully it will help them revive their image after that poopoostorm following the complaints on the Forbidden City location.
As an American, I am very proud that we export premium coffee culture to the world through this chain with its high standards of service, quality, and cleanliness. It gives the global urban middle class a quiet and comfy place to chat about the latest art films, sketch interior design ideas, or even conclude a major acquisition.
March 12 2007 (12:23:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
My two favorite songs for the last few weeks have been Eartha Kitt’s “This is my life” and Shirley Bassey’s “This is my life”. These are two very different songs depicting life, presumably in the Seventies.
February 15 2007 (01:48:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
This blog entry at fashionwindows.com introduces Frankie Xie and Ma Ke, two Chinese designers who will be showing in Paris this February 25:
http://blog.fashionwindows.com/index.php/2007/02/14/paris/
The intersting thing is that I will be in Paris on that day. Hmmmm.
The website for Jefen, Frankie Xie’s label is:
They have five shops here Beijing, which I might investigate at some point.
Comments
Hi, i like how ur blog documents fashion in China. Is it possible that u start doing something like the SATORIALIST? Like when u see something interesting(even in a nasty way), u put it on ur blog? Because every major city got its own fashion blog except china. it would be interesting for China to have a voice in the net. have a nice day.
Posted by Ah Sir on 02/20/2007 07:45:01 PM
February 13 2007 (11:37:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
Spirits are high. Prospects are good. Investments are sizzling. Surroundings are beauty. One drinks to celebrate.
Spirits are in the dumps. Hope is gone. Life is mortgaged. Concrete and pollution surrounds. One drinks to get through.
There is also a new aristocracy that drinks all day, while concluding deals and discussing eros. Drinking is their profession.
How many one-liners and half-misunderstood ideas did I just fuse?
February 13 2007 (10:49:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
More on fakes:
I can understand buying a fake when there is no other choice: that is often the case here in China. However, I’ve never understood buying things where you can tell the brand immediately, whether it is fake or real. Any product which inspires the question “is it real or a fake?” is off limits to people hoping to be stylish.
February 13 2007 (10:39:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
A marriage of two forms of consumption loved in China.
Somebody has gotta do this.
LV pattern:
Condoms
Orange Peels in plush clubs
Cellphones, Blackberries
Laptops
Ipods
Contacts
Calculators
Toilet Seats
Refrigerators
Microwaves
Vacuum Cleaners
Pez Dispensers
Pads
February 12 2007 (03:58:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
Tiantong Xiyuan Third District South, Changping District, Beijing – Sze Tsung Leong
Another new interest I have is in architecture and city planning. This famous quote explains why the way Chinese cities now develop is not revolutionary at all:
“One of the most important historical characteristics of cities in China is continuity with the past—an aspect reflected in the urban patterns and layouts that have remained, in their many incarnations over the centuries, relatively unchanging. Despite the common view that present-day Chinese cities constitute a break with the past, they are still consistent with three historical patterns that have defined urban change in China: large-scale destruction and replacement of urban fabrics to inaugurate changes of emperors or dynasties; massive relocations of populations; and highly planned urban configurations enabled by centralized and unchallenged forms of authority. These traditions underly the shape and nature of the contemporary Chinese city.”
“The persistence of these traditions is possible only in a nation and society that has historically been steered by absolute forms of power. Only by acting as vehicles of these forms of power can urban and architectural development undergo processes that are by now commonplace – demolishing, relocating, wiping clean, and starting anew – all on a magnitude that affects not just individuals, but populations. Concentrated authority gave shape to cities such as traditional Beijing. It also wiped them clean, accommodating a new society in the form of luxury apartment complexes, office towers, and shopping centers. Power today may not exist in the singular form of an Emperor or a Chairman, but it is managed and exercised with enough strength to channel the possibilities for urban experience, and to choose which urban traditions to preserve.”
-Sze Tsung Leong, a Photographer of Historical Images, Urban Scenes, etc.
One always thinks they are just ripping things up and replacing the old with the garish new beyond any rhyme or reason, but here we see that it actually is the traditional thing to do.
Comments
very interesting indeed.
Posted by Pescatore on 02/13/2007 03:29:30 AM
I appreciate that, Pescatore
Posted by stylites on 02/13/2007 10:24:27 AM
February 07 2007 (03:13:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
In January, the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce said that global fashion brands such as Armani, Dior and Zara may be forced to halt sales of some garments in China due to quality and health issues.
Foreign companies are always under closer scrutiny. At worst, the government might be acting in this way to protect market share of domestic competitors. At best, one of the few areas the media is allowed complete freedom is in exposing the wrongs of foreign companies.
Comments
Of course the People’s Republic of Ingroup/Outgroup encourages criticism of all those big bad MNCs who are forcing their inefficient underpaying uncreative local businesses to actually have to compete. How appalling. Ha ha only serious
Posted by Pescatore on 02/08/2007 03:55:51 AM
Hehe…apparently Mango was lying about fabric content – picking up some local techniques it would seem. But to be fair they have done tests in the west that found many fabric content labels do overstate cashmere content or threat count.
Posted by stylites on 02/08/2007 04:01:27 AM
Which luxury Chinese brands are the authorities trying to protect from foreign competition?? I don’t think protectionism is at the heart of the issue here…xenophobic bureaucrats just like to flex their muscles when they can because they can…
Posted by Lincoln Annecam on 02/08/2007 04:08:00 AM
While your statement about xenophic bureaucrats is on target and that is probably the reason here, there are several small Chinese luxury brands and chainstores that they are trying to nurture. Off the top of my head, there is Jefen and if you can scroll down to see the report on Cabbeen, which has 300 boutiques throughout the country. In any case, there have numerous articles saying that China wants to move from just producing to designing apparel with its own brands.
Posted by stylites on 02/08/2007 05:50:30 AM
Chinese luxury brands, with an emphasis on ‘Chinese’, which means they don’t compete with established international juggernauts like Armani and co, and probably won’t for decades if they ever do. And of course China wants to move up the value chain (since when has wealth creation/accumulation ceased being a national aspiration?) but if xenophobic bureaucrats, in their warped minds, think that giving foreign brands a hard time is a means to that end, I think you’d agree that they’ve sadly deluded themselves.
Posted by Lincoln Annecam on 02/09/2007 07:42:14 AM
February 07 2007 (02:39:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
The new “business bib” is for conference calls from home where your boss can only see the upper half of your body. Our bespoke version is priced at 65% of the cost of our standard suits. I wouldn’t call this suit “versatile”. For more information: http://www.luxist.com/2006/09/17/the-business-bib/
February 07 2007 (02:34:00) US/Pacific ( 4 views )
I’ve been delaying this for some time due to a heavy workload. Below are some interesting looks from the Fall ’07 collections that we would like to recreate for you:
Lacoste
I like the jacket and Frenchness of the outfit.
John Varvatos
I enoy the full trousers and the slim scarf. This would be perfect in the heavy English wools that are our specialty. By the way, you should see the scarf Yuanyuan is knitting me from Italian yarn. Just a reminder: Beijing’s best custom hand-knit scarves.
Gucci
The model looks a bit questionable, but I love the skinny checked suit, even though it is double-breasted and you should never walk around with a double-breasted suit unbuttoned. It’s interesting to note that not a single client has ordered a double-breasted suit. Medium and light grays have been “in” for a couple winters. They are so much soothing and fresh-feeling than black. Or I should say: black is appropriate at evening while light gray is a truly versatile color. I have noticed that many young men in China view this shade of gray as suitable only for older people, but I think black is already played out for the young. Light gray seems to make an older man’s face fade a bit, especially if his hair is also gray.
These updated Tyrolean jackets are nice, especially in the colors chosen by Frida Giannini, now designing menswear at Gucci.. With the oversexed days of Tom Ford in the past, we can see this label emerging as a constant reinventor of Mediterranean style. This winter took us on vacation in the Alps – a skiing trip for a Roman dandy.
It’s sad that this label is so over-hyped and mainstream because the style options it is starting to present are fresh alternatives for the sartorially inclined gentleman. These are stylish revisions of classics that could actually be worn every day (thank goodness she didn’t seek to revisit lederhosen).
Ignore the bag. I must find a medium weight tweed in this color.
Valentino
This seems like nothing special: a slim, peaked-lapel, one-button suit. We have created suits in this style to great effect. Everyone probably knows that this is the cutting-edge shape for a suit currently. And yet…and yet…something about the color and the texture of the fabric makes this very desirable. Valentino’s color palette made heavy use of this shade of gray.
Light to medium grays could be both good and bad for Beijing. Good because they show dirt and dust less than either white and khaki or black and navy. Bad because you might blend in too much with the air – not enough contrast. Hmmm, dressing to match the pollution – would this signal a final resignation to live contentedly in this moonscape?
Rag and Bone
I would like to draw your attention to some coats showed by this US label:
These casual wool jackets would be perfect in the Chinese and English tweeds that we offer.
February 06 2007 (06:49:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
Let me do a swift analysis:
Overall, the big surprise is the extent to which products and prices are the same here as they are in the West. Yes, foreigners, Beijing finally has a chain store where you get stylish clothing without nonsense words scrawled across or beads and lace – and it will actually fit.
1. Price: Basically the same as New York, though there could be slight differences that I cannot discern because of a different mix of products (Zara is always changing that).
2. Selection: Again, a pleasant surprise for the most part. There is quite a range for both men’s and women’s clothing. I was expecting the selection to be poor, as it often is in the mainland branches of luxury chains, but that is not the case at Zara. It does too different from New York.
3. Best Value for a Foreigner: Shoes, shoes, shoes. They have big sizes! 44 AND 45 for men. 39 and 40 for women are no problem in most styles. You can pick up a pair of stylish men’s trainers for 400 or so. There’s good value in a city of such poor selection when it comes to quality and style. For less than 700 RMB you could have a pair of suede peep toe wedge pumps or the cutest patent ballet flats – very “of-the-momentâ€. Other styles of ballet flats are under 400.
4. Quality: My initial reaction is that the quality is similar to the West. Some of the cotton fabrics are a bit unpleasant and there are far too many 100% synthetic pants, which for 500+ RMB seem a bit much overpriced. However, there aren’t many sources for modern slim-fit trousers in town (unless if you want some tailor-made in quality English wool cashmere blends – Contact me!).
5. Style:
Men: Beijing’s first one-stop source for fashionable clothing for work and going out. Dior Homme style blazer/safari jackets were in abundance in at least five different colors. Zara is the best place for pointy captoes with, regrettably, PVC soles. These are made in Spain and priced at from 850-1000 RMB. Do not go for a suit here. Zara may offer the only slim-fitting suit in Beijing off the rack at an acceptable price, but we can give you a much better one in English fabric in the same style for this price range.
Women: Somewhat bland, but that is just what we need in sequined, rhinestoned, lace-infected Beijing. This is a great source of party outfits and work clothes for young ladies working in foreign multinationals. The Beijing office girl finally has the chance to vie with the style of her female boss without a monumental financial sacrifice.
With your youth and good looks, you’ll look way better than her when she strides across the office in her newly purchased Christian Louboutin.
The young female expat can finally abandon Yaxiu and the outlets opposite the zoo. The price is a bit more, but the style and absence of logos and sequins are worth it!
Foreign Girls: your womanly form can finally be properly fitted. Sizes 6 and above are available.
Mr. Pablo Isla, CEO of Inditex Group, parent of Zara.
Comments
Fun and fashion in Beijing. You are a bright spot. Wish you wrote more!
Posted by Kim on 02/06/2007 09:06:35 AM
Dear Kim, I really appreciate your kind words. Please keep reading my blog and encourage your friends to do so as well. Any suggestions for content or contributions would also be much appreciated. Best, Nels
Posted by stylites on 02/06/2007 10:09:16 AM
Amancio Ortega is the owner of Inditex
Posted by pelocha on 03/05/2007 11:51:03 PM
February 05 2007 (03:43:00) US/Pacific ( 4 views )
(Article is from The Guardian, photos are from google.cn)
Jess Cartner-Morley in New York Monday February 5, 2007The image of Chinese fashion, still in the west associated with cheongsam dresses and Mao jackets, has been brought up to date by a catwalk show in New York. The show by Cabbeen [NF:å¡å®¾], a hugely successful menswear label in China, which now plans to go global, marked the first time a designer from mainland China had taken part in New York fashion week.
The image of Chinese fashion, still in the west associated with cheongsam dresses and Mao jackets, has been brought up to date by a catwalk show in New York. The show by Cabbeen a hugely successful menswear label in China, which now plans to go global, marked the first time a designer from mainland China had taken part in New York fashion week.The collection, by the 35-year-old designer Cabbeen, featured faded jeans, “vintage” look T-shirts, customised blazers and designer trainers – all key elements of popular contemporary men’s casual wear in New York, Milan and London as well as in Cabbeen’s native Guangzhou.
China is already a powerhouse of production in the fashion industry, the base for more than half the world’s textiles manufacturing. Increasingly it makes clothes for European and American labels, and has a fast-growing interest in fashion.
When Chinese Vogue launched 18 months ago the first issue demanded a second print run within a fortnight, and all copies still sold out. The appetite of the growing Chinese middle class for luxury goods already has western labels such as Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton competing for Shanghai’s prime retail locations. China is increasingly restless with its role as the manufacturing arm of other countries’ fashion brands.
Cabbeen, launched in 1989, now has 300 stores on the mainland, and is favoured by fashion-conscious young Chinese celebrities. The style is international and expensively casual.
At his show the designer himself appeared in black jeans and with artfully dishevelled hair and diamond earring studs. On the catwalk faded jeans were worn with rock’n’roll T-shirts and pinstriped blazers, a look already much favoured by boy band members and successful off-duty young .
Cabbeen maintains a distinct identity using Chinese elements; there is a mandarin-collar velvet blazer but worn with white jeans and trainers; traditional pink cherry-blossom embroidery, but juxtaposed onto a suit jacket.
“The Chinese are often viewed as somewhat stiff and conservative,” says Cabbeen, “and so I am always trying to relax that.”
Here is the designer himself. And his slow, but interesting, website:
February 02 2007 (08:15:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
Coming soon…Detailed analysis of price, selection, best items to purchase, quality, style, etc. for the new Zara.
February 02 2007 (07:50:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
It is simply the highest fashion chainstore and it has now arrived in Beijing.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2007-02/02/content_799411.htm
Zara is for the person who wants exclusivity, but can’t afford it. In some respects you do really get it. Of the major chains, it is the only one that recycles its fashions so often and has a design to shelf timespan of two weeks, supposedly. If you find something you like, snap it up, because it will be replaced with something different.
It’s interesting that, despite having production here in China, you do not see very many zara overproduced items or fakes. Zara stands out in this regard since Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Gap, and Abercrombie are everywhere. The highest fashion items at Zara are made in Europe, often Spain, Portugal, or Romania.
If you want suits at this price that are more “exclusive” (tailored for you) and have the same fashion-forward look but made of far better, English fabric and with top-notch construction, contact me.
The party was a bit of a bore. It seems alcoholic of me to say this, but a good party does need more than enough alcohol. Here there was a tiny trickle of wine that was almost as good as Great Wall, though it came in a foreign-label bottle.
They made up for everything with the gift: a cute slim red tie with white polka-dots that claims to be 100% silk and made in Italy. I am wearing mine now and the one that Yuanyuan received (they said she would get a scarf) could be yours.
Thanks go to Oglivy for arranging for a party which had pluses and minuses. Perhaps if they had supplied more alcohol, people would have bought more at the store, which opened right after the party.
The store opened afterwards.
I met Mr. Dong Lu in the store. He has started a stylish custom tailoring business here in Beijing. I really liked his outfit – most of it custom made. The cashmere coat is based on a Gucci one from Fall ’03, but the lining makes it better than anything from Gucci.
More on Dong Lu in the future. These pictures don’t really capture how exceptional he seems.
Here is his website:
His business, started late last year, centers on shirts at the moment. He’s taken up the noble causing of convincing Chinese men to wear custom-made rather than big brand name. His approach: tailoring with style makes so much more sense for men than buying designer stuff off the rack.
February 02 2007 (07:08:00) US/Pacific ( 3 views )
To give you a taste of our jet-set lifestyle, here is a pic of Yuanyuan from last weekend while she was staying at the Tabarcka Inn in Marakesh. She was there for the North African High Fashion Crocheting Forum’s Annual Seminar on Hot Pink Cashmere Thread.
By the way, we do hand-knit custom scarves too.
February 01 2007 (06:42:00) US/Pacific ( 2 views )
Here Yuanyuan is wearing her newly completed midnight blue velvet jacket.
With stylish one button closure, notch lapels, and a cut that tapers at the waist and hits at the hips, this versatile piece can be worn with jeans to the club or in an ensemble like this for an office party.
Ladies: Don’t worry about shoulder pads, boxiness or any other unstylish nuissances that might have harmed your past efforts at having clothing custom made.
(Photo: Colin MacLennan)
January 31 2007 (09:28:00) US/Pacific
If you like a good Bloody Mary, check out the 5:19 bar at Women’s Street. They have the best one in Beijing. In fact, it was the best I’ve had in the world. And it was 25 RMB, which is quite reasonable considering the imported ingredients.
I went there this past Saturday night for a discussion on Lolita that didn’t really materialize.
As an added plus this bar has a contingent of builders and carpenters from the Southern regions of the United States. They are a very lively and congenial bunch. This is a very authentic collection of dudes from Louisiana, Mississippiand other Faulknerian sorts of places transplanted directly into Beijing. You should go to this bar just to meet them. They are building our government’s new outpost in this heathen land. They recognized me as a Yankee at once but were very friendly anyway. The owner is an Canadian named Dave who has opened several similar bars in Beijing.
5:19: 8448-0896 26 Xingba Lu, Nuren Jie Next to PiliPili 女人街星å§è·¯28å· æ¯”åŠ›æ¯•åˆ©é¤å§æ—è¾¹
Comments
Pity the souls of the heathen masses that must burn for eternity in the infinite cauldron of hell!
Posted by Lincoln Annecam on 01/31/2007 05:05:30 PM
January 31 2007 (09:08:00) US/Pacific
Near the Dongsi and Chaonei Avenue intersection.
The amount of faux fur in Beijing is irritating, though apparently not to the skin of most Chinese men. That’s Beijing even did a guide to buying fake (or real) fur. Almost every down coat (羽绒æœ) in the city has fur around the collar. Does it really offer that much extra warmth? Do you really need that warmth in a city where the temperature rises by five degrees with each new winter? No matter how much fake fur people wear, they are loath to don a hat even on the few days that are genuinely cold. Yes, I am bitching about Beijing not being cold enough.
Often the coldest days are the windiest ones and on these days the air pollution is swept away. The sky becomes blue and the air crisp.
(Photos: Colin MacLennan)
January 30 2007 (05:55:00) US/Pacific
Stripes were the new stripes at Colin’s birthday party held last week at a fabulous, but secluded, Hunan restaurant north of Oriental Plaza. We rented out a whole section of this trendy but authentic establishment. I forgot to bring my original gift for Colin, so I picked up the newest and most popular Paul Smith accessory to overwhelm local markets.
Let me not take credit for work that is not my own. Please go to Colin’s flickr empire at:
January 29 2007 (08:25:00) US/Pacific
N+1, NYC’s chicest new literary journal, is now on sale at the Bookworm, Beijing’s premier literary cafe, lending library and foreign language bookstore. The Bookworm is Beijing’s literary hotspot for the foreign community – a hive of aspiring intellectuals. Every writer or reader passing through Beijing stops at the Bookworm. Check out their website for more information: http://www.beijingbookworm.com/.
As VP Asia-Pacific and China Marketing Director for N+1, I am proud of our prominent spot in this esteemed literary institution.
Several copies have already sold. The price is RMB 100, which is now about 13 dollars.
N+1 is next to the The Jews in China, which is a photographic journey through a century of Jewish life throughout the mainland. It contains many fascinating photos of mixed Jewish-Chinese families, highlighting the way Jewish Europeans found a welcoming haven in Shanghai and other Chinese cities before and during WWII. One can see from these photos that the Jews integrated locally to a much greater extent than many other European settlers. I searched for pictures of relatives of my dear friend, David Adler, whose family lived like royalty in Shanghai during the thirties and forties.
The Jews have been a tiny but notable part of the tapestry of minorities since the Northern Song Dynasty, when they established a community in Kaifeng.
January 28 2007 (03:30:00) US/Pacific
I visited the What? Bar, after nearly a year of frequenting posher establishments.
This band was pretty good I was told. Of course, I don’t actually enjoy raucous music, whether it be dance, hip-hop or rock. I do support the subversive spirit – especially here in China.
The What? Bar is one of the most famous live music venues in Beijing. Located just north of the West gate of the Forbidden City, the What? Bar is on Xichang Road, the narrow strip that runs between the new and the old centers of power. Thirty meters east of the What?Bar is the Forbidden City, from which the emperors of Ming and Qing issued their dreaded commands. Fifty meters west is Zhongnanhai, the “Southern Central Sea”, center of power for the modern rulers of China. There is a notable dearth of other commerce around the What?Bar, certainly no other bars or businesses catering to foreigners or the Chinese bourgeoisie.
January 28 2007 (03:06:00) US/Pacific
This sign is from the doorway of a Mexican restaurant in Shanghai:
This photo is from a discussion that I started on the forum of thatsbj.com
Comments
we disapprove this resteraunt Notice. it’s posted by that pervert wacko Laozhong aka Macro polo aka Laowild aka street laowai. i thought prostitution is always some hidden factor to promote the economics developing, no matter in what countries. a fairly subtle contribution to national GDP.
Posted by Mottosinner on 01/28/2007 09:39:19 AM
Nobody is saying prostitution is bad or that it is unique to China. I’m sure it plays a part in the economic miracle (may that miracle be praised and worshipped eternally). On a side note, would anyone shed tears if they never heard the acronym “GDP” again? One of the reasons why so many development experts are trying to create alternative macro-economic indicators must be that they are simply sick of this yardstick’s divine status.
Posted by stylites on 01/29/2007 08:32:51 AM
January 28 2007 (03:01:00) US/Pacific
Ugo Umeh came in for his first fitting yesterday. He is using an s120 navy matte from England. This is the best value option we offer, and perhaps the best value for a custom-made suit anywhere in the world: 2500 RMB (320 dollars) for a slim fashionable suit in durable, all-season, English suiting wool.
This is going to be one of the best looking suits, which is partially owing to the model-like physique of Ugo.
Ugo lives in New York City and he was born in Nigeria. He is at the start of a career in investment banking. He will be based out of Hong Kong.
This young lady entered the shop and unobstrusively watched the entire fitting process. Her job is to welcome people into the building where the tailorshop is located. There are three or four other people who have this same job. They all stand in the lobby visible behind her. She wants to find a foreign boyfriend to learn English.
January 27 2007 (07:50:00) US/Pacific
The happiest day in a long time.
I am accessing my chic and sporty blog from China.
January 09 2007 (05:44:00) US/Pacific
Dear Fans,
This regrettable situation with the web has continued. I have no way of accessing this blog and updating, which has caused no small amount of anguish. There are so many uberchic happenings in the chilly courtyards of Beijing these days. I need for you to know.
Please go to http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1273331532. This is my stopgap solution. Sina is one China’s largest web portals.
I’m going to go be up-and-coming with it.
We will be back here shortly.
Once again: http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1273331532.
Best,
Nels
January 01 2007 (14:52:00) US/Pacific
The earthquake in Taiwan made the internet really hard to access from the land of Yellow. Please keep checking back since the Central Committee will rectify the situation imminently. I have some fantastic material waiting. (0) Comments | Post Comment
December 26 2006 (05:54:00) US/Pacific
The question of what constitutes style in China is a perrenial one. Does style have to be deliberate? Does the wearer have to be at all aware of fashions? Does style need to be unique? Is the wearer more important or what is being worn? I suppose the answer to the final question is both and how the wearer wears things. There is also a question as to how the great income disparity figure into these questions.
Below is a typical middle aged migrant labourer wearing a typically oversized hat. These hats are probably the most stylish item that peasants and soldiers wear. I applaud them for being among the few people who wear hats through the cold winters in Beijing.
Peasants, beggars, and laborers can be the most stylish people, since often fashionistas and hipsters look too brand-laden and contrived. Of course, the real point here may be the expression that has been captured.
I would like to thank my friend and close associate Colin MacLennan for taking the great shot. I’m for more contributions from Colin as Stylites develops and expands. I look forward to his becoming a key articulator of the Stylites voice and lifestyle.
The common folk deserve their place at Stylites, if only because I love them for what they are not. They are not members of the Chuppy bourgeoisie, the global corporate meritocracy or the plutocracy of pigheads and vulgarians running the world’s two most powerful countries.
Comments
‘They are not members of the Chuppy bourgeoisie, the global corporate meritocracy or the plutocracy of pigheads and vulgarians running the world’s two most powerful countries.’ – well said. There was an interesting article in the WSJ Asia the other day about construction workers, how they make 3 dollars a day and are working all-out to finish all the construction in Beijing before sometime in ’07 so that the dust can clear for the olympics and then they are just expected to go somewhere else and not get in the way.
Posted by Pescatore on 12/29/2006 01:47:11 AM
December 26 2006 (01:32:00) US/Pacific
Merry Christmas to All!
Over the Christmas weekend I met two young designers working in Beijing, whose photos and profiles I will be posting over the next week or so. I’m very excited about this. I think you will find that one of the designers in particular, surnamed Huang, has really figured out how to blend Chinese and Western styles to great effect. You will love his designs for both men and women!
So keep checking back and don’t drink too little over the holiday season!
Also, not to be overly narcissistic (I’ve never been that way), but below are some photos from over the holidays.
We both wore similar-colored herringbone tweed coats. On mine, the herringbone pattern is bigger, appropropriate for my status as a male. This overcoat is also a custom-made piece. We were posing by the restroom in Bed Bar. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce my closest associate, eternal partner in good works, and charming muse, Yuanyuan. We do everything together and she always makes me happy.
I have been getting a lot of use out of my blue cord jacket recently. I will do a little post on it to show all of the special features. Here I am with my good friend Colin’s girlfriend, Marie, a Japanese baroness from Michigan.
December 22 2006 (02:38:00) US/Pacific
Born at his family’s summer villa in a hilltop village near Lake Van, Barak Bessarian is a Sephardic Armenian who grew up in Beirut, and spent his adolescence in Haifa, Novosibirsk and Yokohama. His father was an amber and fur merchant, and work took him frequently to Yakutia. Barak has many fond memories of summers on the family yacht cruising through Lake Baikal, right after the fall of the Soviet Union. The yacht was later confiscated by a local magnate/governor, but the Bessarians purchased a new one, which they sailed mainly in the South China Sea. This yacht was sold to a Singapore developer when amber prices plunged around the turn of the century.
At fifteen, Barak was sent to New York to live with an uncle and reap the benefits of an American education. His nickname growing up was “silver bolt†– referring to lightning rather than the metal object.
That gives you a bit of an introduction to Barak. I would love to continue telling his story, but I have to write some steps companies can take to protect IPR.
Let’s come up to the present.
Barak is an antler merchant currently, though he also smuggles champagne. Demand for the latter product is skyrocketing in China. Antlers have been hot since the Zhou Dynasty.
Barak is also an accomplished scholar of Naiman (a tribe in northern Mongolia) burial rites. There is even a Naiman mating dance named after him.
Barak is THE man about town in many towns throughout Asia.
Barak recently bought a Blackberry to replace the little Inuit man that did his scheduling.
Here he is checking on a delivery of ground reindeer collarbones coming in from Omsk.
He smokes the cigarettes officially designated for use in bribery, Zhonghua.
It is a Chinese style tux, smoking jacket or emblem of elegance, but Barak calls this product of his imagination “seduction with a passion liningâ€. Imagine him saying this in a smoky Southern Caucasus accent while gently moving his many-ringed hand.
The poppable collar is like the spoiler on an Aston Martin Lagonda that rises to stabilize the vehicle at high velocity. Barak raises the collar not to show-off his chicness, but because he must…it’s just safer for everybody. He is not only successful and a true sybarite, he also has a sense of civic responsibility.
Perhaps I should mention that this jacket is made of the finest silk, both the shell and the lining. It is thicker silk, perfect for use in odd jackets like this. Adaptations of traditional Chinese fabrics in modern dress rarely conform to current taste. Forget Tom Ford. This is a rare example of total success that works off the runway, too. The perfect fit and quality of the craftsmanship are what do it. Do you dare to don the Barak Bessarian Seduction with a Passion Lining?
December 21 2006 (14:52:00) US/Pacific
Here is a typical late twentyish Chinese society girl. She was crossing Stadium Rd. on her way to go play at a bar or nightclub. She seemed proud of her plans for the evening. She was more than willing to pose for me after I told her she had wonderful taste and looked very nice. I expanded her ego.
She could be your life, but you will have to take her shopping for more prints that belong on a Masai chieftain’s wife.
Her manner was forward – confident, which is not so common here. She smiled and gazed enrapturingly.
Note the bus in back. I quickly boarded a similar one after this shot, afraid to walk in the same direction as her.
(0) Comments | Post Comment
December 21 2006 (09:39:00) US/Pacific
China’s largest leather shoemaker has put the shoes on its own feet, deciding to sell footwear under its own brand after being a supplier to famous brands such as Prada and Timberland for more than a decade.
Hong Kong-based Stella International Ltd, which exported 5 billion yuan (US$621 million) worth of shoes last year, plans to open 100 stores across China under the Stella Luna brand in three years.
“We plan to invest 1 billion yuan to open the stores in China’s major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Chongqing,” said Jimmy Chen, the firm’s chairman, who opened its first store on Shanghai’s Huaihai Road.
He added that the firm plans to have 30 stores this year alone.
The company, which is the original design manufacturer for LVMH Group, Paul Smith and other top luxury brands, said it also signed an agency deal with American fashion brand Guess pending its entry to the US market.
“The partner will help us open stores in New York and San Francisco in two years,” said Chen. “We will later expand our brand to Europe and other Asian markets including Japan.”
Apparently, Stella International Ltd (hereafter: Stella) even designs the shoes for Paul Smith. The fakes or factory “overstock” selling everywhere must be the work of Stella. I wonder if any other brands besides Stella design and produce Paul Smith. Stella probably designed my pair of “Paul Smith” trainers.
Stella’s other major newsworthy item is considered a landmark legal in the history of the modern labour movement in China. Several workers were jailed after protesting sub-human working conditions at one of Stella’s sweatshops and then released following a concerted effort by concerned Mainland lawyers and international labor rights groups.
The full story:
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501050131-1019909,00.html
http://www.cleanclothes.org/news/newsletter19-15.htm
It’s hard to find anything else about Stella on google.
Once Stella becomes a well-known shoe brand, all of its production facilities will come under increasing scrutiny. The more people that know about Stella’s past misdeeds, the better. Stella will no longer be able to force workers to slave over the leather 15 hours a day while failing to provide proper ventilation, a sanitary work environment, and food fit for human consumption. Stella, I’ll be watching you!
Comments
i have seen their shoes and they are beautiful. i contemplated buying a pair at RMB1,300. interestingly, at both outlets i visited in Shanghai, the staff told me the brand’s from Italy…
Posted by LHS on 02/05/2007 02:55:13 PM
December 21 2006 (06:43:00) US/Pacific
I heard there are a few prostitutes in China, and here is an article from the International Herald Tribune that proves it:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/14/news/letter.php
Chinese economist, Yang Fan, has estimated there are 20 million sex workers in the country, accounting for fully 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
There is no mention of ducks here, but the Guardian did a piece on them earlier this year:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1769387,00.html
One of my first posts on this blog is on Chinese street fashion. I describe some duck fashion:
December 19 2006 (04:31:00) US/Pacific
Google “Nels Frye”! My blog now comes up. At last.
Try to ignore the hookah article.
Yahooing me works as well. In fact, the yahoo image search turns up this image:
This is from an Assyrian demonstration outside the UN.
The Google image search yields this image:
Naturally.
Comments
Where would you find the wettest place on earth? What is the world’s largest desert? If you walked the whole Appalachian Trail, from start to finish, what states would you start and end in? These are just a few examples of the questions Geograbee winner Andi Zhou ’09 (day student representative) and other cluster finalists faced at Andover’s ninth annual geography contest. In a quiz-show format, Chair of the History Department Peter Drench read the questions, while students buzzed in to answer. Students were awarded three points for every correct answer, while they were penalized one point for each incorrect answer. Chair of the Biology Department Marc Koolen kept score. The other finalists were Peter McCarthy (WQS), David Mauskop (WQN), Oliver Bloom (PKN), Hugh Edmundson (FLG), and Ben Elder (ABB). The competition began with a few “warm-up†questions for the audience, including where was the wettest place on earth: Hawaii. After the contests completed the warm-up round, the bee started. Zhou buzzed in first to answer correctly that the world’s largest desert is the Sahara. After Edmundson answered the second question incorrectly, Elder gave the right answer: Georgia and Maine frame the Appalachian Trail. The rest of the questions from this year’s bee ranged from the most sparsely populated country, Australia, to the name of the United States’ first national monument, the Devil’s Monument in Wyoming. Zhou took a commanding lead in the beginning of the round with 13 right answers, but by the end of the competition Elder had caught up to him. Elder nearly won, but Zhou answered the final question to win the initial round: Hundreds of wooden churches with Christian and Viking ties were built in what country? Norway. Unlike previous years, this year’s Geograbee went into overtime, which consisted of a sudden death following a round of five questions. Zhou answered the first question correctly: The Queen Elizabeth Islands are part of which Canadian province? Nunavut. However, Elder won the second point, naming Cote d’Ivoire as the site of one of the largest churches in the world, The Basilica of Our Lady. By the fifth and final question of overtime, Zhou was losing, but would win if he answered the last question correctly. The final question asked what Dutch-named group in South Africa had once been described with the word “trek.†After giving an older name of the group, Zhou said the correct name, Afrikaans – giving him not only the lead but also the win. Zhou received $100 and a world map with his name engraved on it, which he plans to hang in the day student locker area. Elder, who placed a very close second, received $50. In third place was Edmundson, who received $25. When a student asked Zhou where he had learned so much world geography he replied, “My dad kind of started me when I was three and after that he me started me with maps. Then I just went along with it.†When asked how he felt about winning the bee Zhou said, “Relieved.†Every year the Community and Multicultural Development Office (CAMD) organizes the bee with Instructor of Biology Raj Mundra. Mr. Mundra said, “I thought i t went really well. There was a pretty sizable crowd. Each of the finalists was well qualified.†He continued, “It’s a fun competition because the whole school gets involved…It’s a different type of knowledge [than what’s taught here] and it’s nice for students to be able to showcase it.†Mr. Drench said, “I think that the Geograbee is one of the best events of the year at PA, combining fun and competition, and because it was started as a collaboration between students and faculty.†Mr. Drench, Cluster Dean of Pine Knoll Ms. Murata, and Mr. Mundra handpicked the questions for the bee. The Geograbee was founded in 1997 by a former Instructor of Spanish Nels Frye ’99 and former International Student Coordinator Hal McCann. Obviously the last paragraph was what caught my attention. “Andover: Training journalistic standards from a young age.”
Posted by Pescatore on 12/19/2006 07:53:06 AM
Yes, they gave me some real Mianzi there. Did they mean that I was an Instructor of Spanish prior to graduating in ’99 – perhaps even before I enrolled as a student? Still, I get the credit I deserve for founding “one of the best events of the year” at such an elite high school.
Posted by stylites on 12/19/2006 08:49:43 AM
Yes, they gave me some real Mianzi there. Did they mean that I was an Instructor of Spanish prior to graduating in ’99 – perhaps even before I enrolled as a student? Still, I get the credit I deserve for founding “one of the best events of the year” at such an elite high school.
Posted by stylites on 12/19/2006 08:49:43 AM
Yes, they gave me some real Mianzi there. Did they mean that I was an Instructor of Spanish prior to graduating in ’99 – perhaps even before I enrolled as a student? Still, I get the credit I deserve for founding “one of the best events of the year” at such an elite high school.
Posted by stylites on 12/19/2006 08:49:45 AM
Yes, they gave me some real Mianzi there. Did they mean that I was an Instructor of Spanish prior to graduating in ’99 – perhaps even before I enrolled as a student? Still, I get the credit I deserve for founding “one of the best events of the year” at such an elite high school.
Posted by stylites on 12/19/2006 08:49:45 AM
December 18 2006 (06:12:00) US/Pacific
At Xidan, there are cartloads of fake streetwear. They fake limited-edition sweatshirts designed and made in Tokyo and worn only by obscure rappers living in the Bronx. It is difficult to take photos.
This shop stocks this Japanese streetwear brand called “A Bathing Ape”, also refered to as “Bape”. Apparently these hoodies sell for USD 300+ at one store on the Lower East Side – maybe more than just there, but that is the most visible example. Here they are for under RMB 300, probably in more styles than the original.
If you want the product of local talent, Xidan has much to offer:
Enticing…But even at this shop selling its own branded dross – not fakes – they won’t let you take pictures.
It would be too embarassing if people outside the caverns of Xidan got an idea of what passes for fashion inside.
Comments
Mwahah, Ape must never fight Ape.
Posted by Pescatore on 12/18/2006 09:14:32 AM
I was trying to take photos of that too. But just got some hands back~lol… It is true,that many fakes in Xidan. But it’s always fashion and cheap,so many young people buy them. It’s just common in China,don’t be surprised anymore.
Posted by Lori on 12/19/2006 09:22:15 AM
Hehehe, how practical! Must one drain the freshness out of everything? I adore being surprised whenever possible. Granted, I must pretend some of the time, but it’s worth it!
Posted by stylites on 12/19/2006 10:17:17 AM
December 14 2006 (02:11:00) US/Pacific
It was Riel’s last weekend in Beijing before heading back to Toronto for Christmas. He wore the jacket from the stunning velvet suit just completed by Senli and Frye. The color is a smoky java with a tint of aubergine.
Riel is kind and gentle but has a titilating sense of humor. He is a good listener, but also clever. A free spirit, he is also very committed to his friends and family. I like him a lot, so he must be a swell sort of fellow. He also boasts an excellent background and education. This month he will turn 24.
He enjoys the company of charming, stylish, and witty but calm females. If you would like to arrange a meeting, please send me and email. The fee for an introduction is 100 euros, which can be sent to my paypal account.
December 11 2006 (05:24:00) US/Pacific
A men.style.com feature on the 25 most stylish movies of all time:
http://men.style.com/gq/features/slideshow/v/10122006FILM?loop=0&event=&designer=&trend=&slideshowId=slideshow37667&iphoto=0&play=false
December 08 2006 (06:45:00) US/Pacific
Here is an advertisement I placed for Stylites in Beijing in That’s Beijing, the main expat mag in the city.
December 08 2006 (02:02:00) US/Pacific
Here’s a kwik rheed on how to dress to impress women:
http://men.msn.com/articlees.aspx?cp-documentid=702600>1=8883
Many sartorialists are against this practice, believing women have bad taste, but I see nothing wrong with trying to look good for them.
They are the fairer sex and all, and all they think about is making us happy (and competing with each other) through looking good.
December 07 2006 (09:19:00) US/Pacific
True Religion is an old one, but it’s still interesting that there is far more of it on Taobao than US ebay:
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/3035/t-g,orzhkzjaojswy2lhnfxw4—————-40-list-commend-0-all-3035.htm
Rogan may not be the most obscure brand in the world, but as I understand, it does take pride in being “made in the USA”. They should also be proud of being “Made in China”:
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/0/t-95—————–g,ojxwoylo—————-40-list-commend-0-all-0.htm
Rogan jeans and outerwear can be found at the fourth floor of the 3.3 market in Sanlitun.
We all know A.P.C. is the trendiest thing at the moment. New Yorkers always want to seem French. So do Beijingers:
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/3035/t-g,mexca4boebrs4—————-40-list-commend-0-all-3035.htm
To be fair, perhaps BJ is still behind the fashion curve. For this one, there is very little and the prices are in that high bracket where one starts to wonder if the product is real. I have to examine more closely.
Shockingly, there are only 1945 entries for Evisu. Hmmm, 1945 for Evisu.
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/3035/t-g,mv3gs43v—————-40-list-commend-0-all-3035.htm
I’m sure it’s all from Japanes looms.
We are now up to 104 entries for Dior Homme jeans. We should keep in mind that most of these entries has several pairs available in different sizes.
What about Rock and Republic – a totally mainstream brand? I’ve actually never seen the originals, since it’s a relatively new brand, but I have seen some in Xidan.
Taobao has 41 entries, starting at around 15 dollars in price.
http://search1.taobao.com/browse/3035/t-g,ojxwg2zaojsxa5lcnruwg—————-40-list-commend-0-all-3035.htm
Rock and Republic is all being made in Guangzhou. Cantonese people are fashion forward.
Let me note in passing that two US designer brands, John Varvatos and Theory, are entirely absent from the Chinese market. It’s strange because most Theory is produced in China. Come to think of it, I have seen Theory here, in shops.
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December 07 2006 (06:35:00) US/Pacific
Spend winter in the capital of the next hyperpower!
Hack up phlegm before it becomes illegal!
Will you brave the firecrackers and myriad Volkswagens?
Can you stomach lardburgers and no oxygen?
Buy a plane ticket to BJ and you’ve got a place to say for the two last weeks of February!
February 18 – March 3, babysit my flat.
You must be stylish, sophisticated, silly, and a sailor.
Please send a photo, statement enumerating prejudices and vital sentiments, and a commitment to wear and take with you my Bollywood-style leather jacket.
All female applicants must agree to (1) buy plastic white boots and (2) tuck their jeans into the boots.
I shall be in the city of light…
Comments
i enjoy reading this blog a lot. and i sure would like to come. 🙂 haven´t been to china for quite a while. although i´m not so sure about the bollywood-leatherjacket. have any photos of it online?
Posted by peripherique on 12/07/2006 07:32:36 PM
Well, thank you for your interest. It’s a perfect location and it is quite comfortable. As for the leather jacket, it’s also very Detroit – a cross between detroit and bollywood. Waist length, vintage 1960s, it is on my girlfriend’s list for incineration. It’s not that bad though.
Posted by stylites on 12/08/2006 01:34:31 AM
December 06 2006 (13:50:00) US/Pacific
My dear friend Mark sent me this email message:
“i will think for you and i love you enjoy man miss you lots”
I’m moved. It’s too bad he left.
December 06 2006 (01:53:00) US/Pacific
Another picture of the tweed jackets. I’m wearing trousers that are also a tweed with a very subtle check and Colin is wearing jeans that he distressed himself. Colin and I were at Hatsune that night.
Some comments made by members of styleforum.net after seeing photos of our custom tweed jackets.
“I agree, I love the tweed jacket and hat combo. It works so perfectly and gives that that great “fish out of water” look while still being fashionable.â€
“Dude, I’d love to find a jacket like that. If you ever plan on having one made like that again, count me in.â€
“By the way BGS, I love the tweed blazer/jacket with the ticket pocket on your blog. Is this made by you?â€(I am BSG)
We are trying to locate more of this fabric. Despite being a very classic herringbone, it was a limited run.
December 04 2006 (06:12:00) US/Pacific
These two models are on their way to the agency on floor 25 of my building.These tall women have achieved the winter style goals of many Beijing girls – the white coat, sunglasses, permed hair, and tall boots. Jeans tucked into boots is, thankfully, not quite as common this winter as last, but still captures the imagination of the most fashionable young ladies. These girls do have the proportions to wear this style.
It is very unremarkable that they are both wearing the same outfit. The scary fact is that they probably did not plan this. Note that one girl added a green scarf as a statement of individual style and perhaps, in keeping with the shades, rebellion.
In my hutong, starting the next generation early:
The trousers make it work.
So why do Chinese girls like this style so much?
Comments
Posted by Morbid-Calendar on 01/13/2007 03:58:56 AM
December 04 2006 (04:16:00) US/Pacific
I had a guest over the weekend, and I had to take him sightseeing.
Here I am welcoming him to Paris:
I got this blue corduroy suit made without a lapel button hole, so I had to use the chest pocket for my orchids.
Please start checking again regularly this week, as there will be frequent updates coming once again.
December 01 2006 (09:36:00) US/Pacific
Can’t really buy ’em here, so gotta make ’em. My next project.
December 01 2006 (09:09:00) US/Pacific
I’m extremely ecstatic that my blog was mentioned at the top of the Links of the Week section in the That’s Beijing “That’s Seven Days in Beijing, Weekly Newsletter”:
Stylites in Beijing, which appears to model itself on New York’s The Sartorialist, is keeping a critical eye on fashion – and pollution – in the capital.
This mention is well-deserved; I have worked hard for it. How might one even imagine what could come next?
I don’t know how much like The Sartorialist my site really is, but it is a flattering comparison. I think my blog is going in a different direction, due to the nature of the content that is available. I have certain ideas about that direction, and it will be an exciting one. We could end up with a coffee table book. Obviously, my blog functions as a promotional tool for Senli and Frye, temporarily, until we get the website up and running.
It is proving difficult for me to find interesting street style to post, I must confess. The Beijing street fashion scene is more repetitive than I had anticipated. Does one focus on ugly chuppies, punks and hipsters, wannabe hip-hopsters or the “real people” -workers, bums, and farmers? The groups are too defined. People are too obsessed with looking like the group that they aspire to enter. They rarely break free in their style, and I rarely break free of the office. Maybe I am just not noticing things. Any suggestions?
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December 01 2006 (04:05:00) US/Pacific
I don’t really want to support buying fakes. I don’t want to give advice about which ones are good and where to buy them.
So, as Westerners, should we be coming up with solutions for this problem? That is, should citizens of the countries in which the brands are produced not buy fakes? Is it unpatriotic? Are we supporting China’s rise and the West’s demise when we buy their fakes of our stuff?
The problem for the established brands may not be as great as they themselves make it out to be. Clearly Hedi Slimane and Paul Smith aren’t about to starve on the streets because of IP theft. The companies they design for or own also have a loyal base of consumers who derive great spiritual value from buying the real thing – even in lands where fakes are available. However, I should caution that brand loyalty is not fully developed in China, their fastest expanding market.
The new affluent classes hanker after luxury brands for the status they can provide. A percentage of these people are not price sensitive, but highly face sensitive. This group might only buy the real thing.
There is another large slice of the wealthy who are happy to have the status at a lower price tag, and who don’t really give a damn about the illustrious history of LV.If they can find a fake that looks just as good as the real thing to be their new toy, they are happy to take advantage of a discount.
Paul Smith just entered the Beijing market this year. He had a store in Shanghai for a year or more before that. There is Paul Smith EVERYWHERE now. This was not the case a year ago. Can you imagine “Paul Smith” appearing with the same frequency as GAP and Banana Republic combined in the US? It’s almost like that. The quality difference is apparent for SF types, but not for everyone. I met a very stylish Dutch fellow yesterday, wearing a real Paul Smith scarf, perusing the mall of fake Paul Smith shops. He said that he was happy to buy the fakes selling there, since they were just as good as the real thing. Perhaps this is not a problem, since Paul Smith will continue to be a successful company.
You don’t think this has a negative effect on his brand image? Maybe not, but it seems hard to believe. I want to analyze this further when I have the chance.
As for rising brands, designers and creative types, this is a terrible problem. You can say that their niche consumers will carry them through, but this is imbuing dissimilar consumer groups with attributes of ones with which we are more familiar. Chinese consumers prefer anything foreign and established, particularly when it comes to fashion. A fake Dior Homme sweater will always sell better than that of a local brand, because it still has that aura of style, of Paris, of something elite. Also, please keep in mind that you cannot even rise to any level of fame and profitability when your brand is ripped off immediately. There are exceptions, things will change, but for now the situation is getting worse.
“D&G” is sold in boutiques that seem glamorous and foreign. The sales assistants will state they are a registered seller of D&G. It is very hard to compete with stylish, decent-quality, “D&G” selling at a lower price than you could possibly hope to offer if you wanted a profit.
Keep in mind that “D&G” is not necessarily just copies of the real D&G. Anyone hoping to sell a stylish clothing item would be advised to slap on the tag D&G, Dior Homme, or True Religion, or Rogan (I see this in increasing quantities).
You can either pay to market a brand that will promptly be copied, or slap D&G onto your product. Which one is more profitable? When you make 100 dollars a month, the choice is not hard.
I can only defer to those who are really facing that problem. Local designers all list IP theft as the main problem preventing their rise.
So, will production ever go back to the first world because of this?
Or will the market that best protects IP be the one that succeeds in the long-run or atracts foreign producers?
It would seem as though the problem of IP theft is not as big for the big companies as I am making it out to be. They obviously all keep their production here in spite of being copied.
Are the “fakes” and “overstock” sometimes actually allowed by the parent companies so they can secretly make a profit off people who do not normally have the means to buy the originals? A kind of price selection.
Perhaps this is a secret stategy on the part of the big brands to curtail the development of local competitors, while making money off lower income members of the production…Probably not, but it seems to be a benefit that comes out of an othe rwise bleak situation.
Maybe IP theft offers the West the chance to retain its ascendancy, since brands and marketing are the only real advantages we still possess.
Well, I guess they still make better wool in England.
