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It's National Day y'all!

Yup, it's that time of year again!... The day that the great People's Republic of China was founded.

So I thought I'd celebrate by posting some festive pictures of the times. You see, it was recently also the Mid-Autumn Festival (fondly known as "Mooncake Festival" by some of my rounder American counterparts who enjoy a delicious array of whatever-filling mooncake that are widely available/gifted throughout the country the week prior to the actual date), which was a definite turning point in what people were wearing out and about the streets of Shanghai (due mainly to the weather).

So the lunar and national calendars declared September 22nd, 2010 as "Mid-Autumn Day", and it was definitely Autumn (the day before, it was still full-blown summer). The weather coincidentally(?) dropped more than 10 degrees Celsius, and I felt the first nips of the fall/winter season approaching Shanghai.

So luckily, because of the weather, all the shirts of the pot-bellied Chinese men have all been rolled down before my new camera could snap some shots, so you'll have to wait until next summer to witness this ghastly habit (additionally, I think that the Expo's "harmonization" of the city really has changed people and their habits in Shanghai, but I'll be a better judge in retrospect). But yay!, coats and puffy pajamas have started to re-make their appearance (the pajama-wearing outside thang is another habit that the Expo is trying to eradicate), as this holiday season is all about chillaxin' and beating the cold.


I like her, even though I can't see her face... She's got on an appropriately nationalistic ensemble (what could be more Chinese than wearing your puffy, red pajamas on the street?) while still beating the cold.



The two above examples might not be as color-appropriate as the first (actually, the colors are a bit nauseating to be honest), but at least they be comfy. I mean, that's what this great week is all about, right?! (oh ya, did I forget to mention that EVERYONE in the country has a FULL WEEK off from work?)

So sit back, relax, and, out of solidarity with our brethren, get in your pajamas like them Chinese be doin' this October 1-8:


Don't worry, you can still go buy a fish in your pajamas.


You can still have a ciggy on your scooter in your pajamas.


You can still go to the convenience store in your pajamas.


And you can still watch your country's rapid modernization in your pajamas.

But don't you be fooled... even though these people may look comfy and are technically on vacation right now, they still be workin' (meaning, their still trying to portray their "wealth" with their clothing).

In China, pajamas worn outside of the home very clearly communicate to everyone that the pajama-wearing subject lives nearby (and, if it's a ritzy neighborhood, it declares to others that the subject is "wealthy")... And we know Chinese people like to be very literal and clear-cut with their clothing and how it portrays their "wealth", but I actually prefer this method to mindlessly consuming another LV bag.

So as you consider this National Holiday and general Chinese culture you see here, please consider how our own culture (and clothing culture) is interacting and affecting the Chinese people and their culture. I think that now is a better time than ever to make people aware of the mechanisms of cultural imperialism (in fashion, specifically) so that they can be stopped.

Witness Exhibit A:


Brainwashing Exibit B:


Creating, in the future, something like the creature that is Exhibit C
(awkward gait and all):


So..., cultural imperialism = BAD, nationalism (sometimes) = GOOD

Oh ya...and this final pic is a shout out to all of my Chinese brethren embracing AMURICA:

China's Fashion Elite

GUESS WHAT!?!!

I finally received my iPhone 4, so now I have lots of new and beautiful pictures of Chinese People WITH style that I'd love to share with you all.

So when I found that Shanghai ranked #12 in a list of Global Fashion Capitals, I very nearly poo'ed my pants... But I shouldn't be so surprised at this, especially when considering the below information (just pictures, really) about China's next generation:



I had so much more hope for China's aesthetic future after spotting this adorable little girl, and I think that after the next generation comes of age, Shanghai will rival cities like Tokyo and Seoul as Asia's top fashion capital.

OH YA, and then I spotted her sister, who was even more elegant silhouette at just about 5 years and 2 ft+ (take a real close look at her dress):



I can't wait for Shanghai's young fashion elite to roam the soon-to-be more-aesthetically-pleasing streets and influence China's fashion system as an informed consumer.

So here they are everyone... representations of China's FUTURE aesthetics!:

Shanghai Ranked 12th in "Global Fashion Capitals"

Really??

This ranking by the Language Monitor was enough for me to come back to the blogosphere from a nearly 4-month hiatus.

How many kinds of stupid do you have to be to rate LA higher than Tokyo on a list of "global fashion capitals" (and especially with such a large discrepancy)?

I guess you would have to be about as dumb as this algorithm:

"This exclusive ranking is based upon GLM’s Predictive Quantities Index, a proprietary algorithm that tracks words and phrases in print and electronic media, on the Internet and throughout the blogosphere."
-Language Monitor Website

I mean, ya, it kind of makes sense as an algorithm, but I don't think sartorial code can be that simple or one-dimensional.

If you lived in Shanghai and had seen all the times that the words "fashion", "style" or "vogue" are used completely out-of-context, then you would understand my point... The following are just sartorial examples, but there are "fashion" restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, that permeate ever visual component of Shanghai:




Just because the media on the Internet of one city may use certain key phrases like "fashion" or "style" more than another city doesn't mean that the actual practice and existence of fashion/style is necessarily "better" (meaning, of the former).

Perhaps instead of reading more of my incoherent ramblings (my English is suffering severely from living on the Mainland), you should just take a quick gander at the list below and decide for yourself what does or doesn't make sense:

1. New York (+1) – Reclaims the top spot which it sees as its rightful place.
2. Hong Kong (+5) – The highest ranking ever for an Asian city.
3. London (+2) – The first time, the No. 2 ranking goes to anyone other than the Classic Four (New York, Paris, London and Milan).
4. Paris (-1) – No. 1 in our hearts by No. 4 in the eyes of the media.
5. Los Angeles (+1) – Film is playing an ever more important place in the world of fashion.
6. Milano (-5) – Milan Fashion Week was widely considered a disappointment.
7. Sydney (+2) – Sydney and Melbourne are both energizing the fashion world from Oz.
8. Miami (+5) – strength in swimwear propels Miami into the Top Ten.
9. Barcelona (+5) – Once again, take the top spot in Iberia.
10. Madrid (+11) – Impressive leap into the Top Ten.
11. Melbourne (+14) – Sydney strides ahead; Melbourne even moreso.
12. Shanghai (+2) — Hong Kong and Shanghai both outpace Tokyo.
13. Sao Paulo (-5) – No. 1 in Latin America, again.
14. Tokyo (-2) – Maintaining a relatively strong message while slipping a bit.
15. Singapore (+5) – Strong fashion infrastructure helps it keep pace.
16. Las Vegas (-6) – Hard economic times make a dent in Vegas’ standing.
17. Amsterdam (NL) – Move on to the list for the first time.
18. Berlin (+1) – Hard work helps it main spot in the Top Twenty.
19. Rio de Janeiro (-1) – Strong Latin presence yet slips further behind Sao Paulo.
20. Moscow (+2) – Back in the Top Twenty where it belongs.
21. Dubai (-10) – Transformation of Burg Dubai into Burj Khalifa mirrors the local fashion industry’s trajectory for the year.
22. Rome (-18) – Steepest decline for the survey, ever.

But maybe I'm giving Shanghai and the Language Monitor a rough time... I mean, there are certainly glimmers of style throughout this fantastic city, but the seasonal trend of rolling your shirt up over your beer belly to beat the summer heat has made me overall really skeptical of Shanghai's style potential. But here are a few springtime outfits I managed to snap while I still had an iPhone that make me still believe:

Shanghai Fashion Week, Part 2: Everything Else (Almost)

Given that I'm weeks behind on posting (surprise!), I've opted to format my SFW posts (there will be 3 parts in total) in the least labor-intensive way. Thus, below I present to you 3 separate groups of pictures from 3 different designers' shows. I also haven't said anything about the pictures because I'm too lazy to comment at the moment, but it might be better this way as you can form you personal and uninfluenced opinions about whether the shows are actually any good or not.

The first show worth noting was from Chen Ping (her brand is Pari Chen), who consistently presents collections that all shapes and sizes can realistically wear. They look bad from this perspective unfortunately, but you get the gist... I hope:









The second show was undeniably Coko Wan, from the lighting to the music to the styling. This is certainly a younger aesthetic, vastly different from Chen Ping, but still impressively established... and diversity is a positive thing, right?:









And last but not least is Uma! Uma Wang, that is. Anyway, this was her first time at SFW, an interesting move for a young designer soon to show at Paris Fashion Week this October... But more power to her for supporting her local fashion system, as she is certainly a product of Shanghai. I hope you loyal Uma über-fans are satiated for the time-being: