Fashion Trend Digest, based out of Shanghai, did a story on me and Stylites, or I should say that they featured a piece that I wrote about myself. The piece is in Chinese, and my girlfriend, Yuanyuan, was nice enough to heavily edit it for me.
Blanketed Banker
Minzhao, who works at Bank of China, had just visited Beijing’s Lane Crawford with her parents. She said that the heating was turned too high, but she did concede that the designs on offer were very cutting edge. Her father commented that the prices seemed far too high for the Beijing market. As for wearing a blanket? Well, it was kind of shocking to see it immediately after viewing the Stella Mccartney and Alexander Mcqueen Couture in Lane Crawford.
Creative Types at Nanluoguxiang
Walking down Nanluoguxiang, neither member of this couple had a terribly revolutionary or eye-catching style. They were very friendly and seem open-minded, which, in a world of much prejudice, often seems like having an attractive style. I was just struck by how well they represent a “type” in Beijing. “Creatives” are a relatively new type here and it is quite refreshing to see more and more of them around. This couple’s taste isn’t particularly chic but compared to mix of gaudiness and tackiness of most couples, it is quite nice. The two also go very well together. He is a freelance graphic designer and she does something similar – I didn’t have my notepad on me.
Earth-Like Jacket at Longfusi
He shows how to wear those eye-grabbing streetwear pieces. Also a lover of hip-hop music, this fellow must be one of those fans that actually understands the culture behind it, mainly because his pants aren’t too baggy or worn below his thighs. He shops at Bustout, profiled below, the newest and largest streetwear shop in Beijing.
Holy Warrior
There’s a military vibe here, and the Saudi style head-dress used as a scarf doesn’t take away from that. Wearing these as scarves was very popular in London and elsewhere a while back, but I haven’t seen too many here in China. He was well aware of the associations of the piece and wears it with pride.
Bustout – Beijing’s Top Streetwear Source
Even the Chinese immersed in hip-hop preach its tenets with ferocious dedication. Hip-hop apparel is saturated with its culture, but few local wearers of the style realize this, according to Paco Ou, founder of Bustout, the newest and largest streetwear emporium in Beijing. He seeks to change this with a hand-picked streetwear selection that focuses on authenticity and a mission revolving around education.
With its technicolor print hoodies, genuine special edition sneakers, and one-of-a-kind tee shirts, Bustout will redefine the scene here, remaking the hip-hop man from head to toe, and Paco, 22, has ambitions far greater than just these. He wants the store, among the most airy retail spaces here, to be a platform from which to educate local youth on the origins of hip-hop culture.
Apparently, middle class kids in baggy jeans and over-sized headphones don’t really get the culture. Through events, literature, and his own presence, Paco wants to teach the background of hip-hop and what it means in the Chinese context. Poor kids from the south side of Beijing don’t grow up with drugs and violence, but still must “hustling all day†and have faith in themselves despite the odds, part of what hip hop is about.
To wear the clothes, Chinese kids have to know this story, says Paco. Having worked in apparel since 15, Paco had his share of hustling and he also learned to source the best products, and 80% of which products are exclusive to Bustout. Some standout gear includes Levi’s Jeans (RMB 400-700), particularly raw demin intended for export to Japan, X-Large T-Shirts (RMB 160), Stussy Bandana Print T-shirts (RMB 160). Hoodies are the dominant outerwear with Prohibit (RMB 350), Hollywood Cartel (RMB 460) , 686 (RMB 240), Famous Stars and Stripes RMB 240). His clients will be mainly in the 15 to 25 age range, though a middle-aged policeman who dresses in hip hop style when he gets off work is a regular customers. Paco confesses that the real gangsters in China will never wear hip hop clothing.
Opening Hours: 11am-10pm
东四隆ç¦å¯ºè¡—52-1
Dongsi Longfusi Street, 52-1
Please note that a slightly different version of this piece appeared in the February issue of That’s Beijing.
LV+Converse
The maddening crowds of LV carriers thronging Oriental Plaza made me vow not to photograph a single bearer of the brand, but the editor of an IT magazine, Ms. Xu, was eye-grabbing for the genuineness of the bag and the fact that she wasn’t trying to hard to be fashionable.
Bordeax Academician
Academics from France are scarce on Dongsi Dajie, but when they appear, they do not disappoint with their shoe choices nor do they fail to don bright scarves, insignia of Gallic-ness.
Vol De Nuit
Mu Zi, the totally cute nineteen year old boss of Vol De Nuit, the newest elegant little shop on the otherwise trashy stretch of Longfusi, believes fashion should be romantic and expressive. She stocks Korean brands but loves a French aesthetic.
No Chinese Brands
In “creative work†and tourism respectively, Mr. Yu and Ms. Sun refuse to wear Chinese brands before they turn 30, explaining that local desingers have not been able to capture how to design stylish clothes suited for young people. For this, they must rely on foreign brands. They prefer include Adidas, Mango and Vero Moda (I must observe that Vero Moda seems to have localized its designs quite a bit – seeing their products its hard to believe the brand is Western European). She would only wear a Qipao at Chunjie.
PR Punk
It seems not all PR execs are slaves of the Man; Weber Shandwick, an American firm, must be a funky place to convince Ian to work there. He describes his style as a sort of sophisticated “punk†with the requisite real Doc Martins, purchased in Hong and Kong, and plaid.
Really Stylish People Buy in the UK
Harry has the real Paul Smith Mini Satchel, bought in the UK – the plastic version is available on taobao.com. After all the shining black, it’s nice to see brown boots made of supple leather from Herbal Heaven on Dongsi. He works at Juicy Couture as a brand development manager, but never wears that brand and, in general, for his own fashion consumption tends to avoid big names.
Soothingly Knit
In the congested Oriental Plaza, a knit sweater-coat seemed to look relaxing and Scandinavian. She was sort of milling about with no particular direction. I like the patent red shoes too.
Stolid Militaristic Man
The jacket is from Kuhle, a frustrating shop in Oriental Plaza, one of Beijing’s most popular malls. Kuhle is like H&M in that it offers some cool styles at low prices and quality levels. He wears the piece well though.
Happy Chinese New Year
I wasn’t in China this time, but I’m sure it was an overwhelming experience for all those who were. With its fireworks and blasts, in the past I found that Chinese New Year brought me close to experiencing a warzone. So I hope everyone who was in China enjoyed the carnage.