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:

Shanghai Fashion Week, Part 1

So I know I'm super late by blogging standards with regard to reporting on Shanghai Fashion Week, but whatever, SFW itself was late by international fashion standards (April 8 - April 13 for FW10... what??!?).

Despite its relative tardiness, I would have to say that it was leaps and bounds above last year's SFW... This year's highlights are numerous, rather than the singular Jiang Ling whom I praised last time for her collection.

In addition to Jiang Ling, this SFW featured designers like Uma Wang, Chen Ping (Pari Chen), Coko Wan, and some newcomers that are promising like Nio and Angela Chen. However, today I only have time to introduce you to the opening show for SFW by some sort of internet "fashion" retail outlet, which put my hopes for SFW at a very low starting point...

I don't know what the connection between this blue girl and fashion is, but I'm citing this as yet another reason why no one takes SFW seriously, let alone fashion as an industry in China.




There will be other, more positive posts to come in the near future, so come back!

The Chinese Riviera

So I didn't know that China had a tropical island until circa 3 days ago, but I got invited to show at the Hainan Rendezvous and couldn't refuse the opportunity. I guess it was something of a "Billionaire's Fair", where they sold private jets (Airbus, Boeing, Cessna, AirJet, etc. were all there), yachts, and other particular indulgences (art, cigars, champagne, etc.) However, I was more interested in the local culture (meaning fashion culture) more than the billionaire's fashion culture, although both proved to be interesting.

However, I am remiss to let you all know that my iPhone was stolen or lost in Sanya, which was where ALL my photos were of the weekend... The clothes were STUNNING on this island and at this event, some positively so and others not so much. It was interesting to see how the ideas and archetypes associated with islands/island culture/billionaires was interpreted by the locals and visitors alike, and I will certainly have to go back there when I get a new phone to give you a glimpse at some pretty phenomenal stuff and wild styles.

Anyway, I'm off to Tibet around April 16th to go and scout out "The Hope School" for child art talents that can help me create new fabrics to provide customized, artistic products to China's consumers (the proceeds go back into supporting the school and art education, and may also help support The Ailing Foundation). The collaboration will be announced in a more formal forum soon, but I can give you a quick preview of materials that will be launched as a part of the same collaboration.

Only one artist has already been confirmed for this project, but it is photographer-extraordinaire Maleonn. Check out his website for an idea of what is to come of this collaboration, but here is a special sneak peek at two fabrics by Maleonn:



The printed fabrics (starting in silk and cotton in limited quantities) will be used by Chinese designers like Jiang Ling, Nio, Angela Chen, and Angela Gao to create customized and exclusive products, and many of these designers will be showing at Shanghai Fashion Week (April 8-13)... I'll definitely review SFW as the shows pass, and I have higher expectations for this season, as there is better infrastructure being set up to truly help Chinese designers enter onto the world stage.

Qiu Hao, Man of Vision

Now you all can see what sartorial boringness I have to deal with every day:



Best Quotes from Qiu Hao:

"My photographer friend told me: 'Oh Shanghai style is so interesting, because the street style is so boring.' Well, that's what I saw. It's kinda boring, ya, and also these days it's really fake."

Qiu Hao legitimizes my observations that people dress so blah here. As he later calls this predominant style, "like office lady style"... most everyone here is dressed in a sort of droopy style very similar to that of a rural office lady... or office man (sometimes in China, he or she has bedazzled their gear, but that doesn't really make it better).

Also:
"In London, you just go out in the college or the street, you can see a lot of people that have their own style and it's not learned from a book or fashion magazine.
They created their own style, and from their outfits you can see their personality."

This is totally true, and that is the second quote that he has talked about something being copied or fake... dress here is definitely not only boring but also fake. There is no interpretation of cultural materials in China. That is to say, clothing is adopted, rather than adapted, by Chinese from the West. So, because these styles are simply learned or copied, the situation demonstrates how many people just consume fashion in China... I guess you could say that this is a contributing factor to the success of large Western luxury brands in China. And I guess, by extension, counterfeit luxury goods.

That's Shanghai Fashion Special
Qiu Hao was ranked as the number 1 most influential person in Chinese Fashion. The list also includes Vera Wang (she's American...), Angelica Cheung, and a few other surprises (meaning these people definitely shouldn't be on this list). Qiu Hao deserved to be on top though, especially with this response to a question about personal goals:

"I'd like to show my collections to more people. I thought about doing Shanghai Fashion Week... but I prefer to organize my own show."

Ouch... but I mean, I'd do the same. That's only a fair statement by anyone who has ever had to experience Shanghai Fashion Week.

Shanghai Fashion? Week

I hope the government doesn't crack down on me for knocking their attempts at a fashion week, but I have to say that it was, well, just bad.

The most recent Shanghai Fashion Week was the first time I experienced it, and it will most likely be my last for a few seasons until I find the value in attending again. The first problem was the music... It was SO loud and über Zoolander, but I don't think there was any irony in it.

I was only able to attend a few shows because of work, but I could summarize the entire event by noting that one designer's collection looked like 20 different collections and another one used her samples from last season to present this season... I mean, Shanghai is certainly the front-runner for the fashion capital on the Mainland, but I don't think I can use the word "designer" to describe 95% of the names at Shanghai Fashion Week. These are the people to continue to stigmatize the idea of "Made in China" to 外国人, or foreigners like myself.

The good news is that there is some home-grown talent amongst all of those weeds. Most of these designers don't bother with fashion week, like the incredible Uma Wang (www.umawang.com). However, some designers see the advantage of the visibility that Fashion Week can afford a young star, and one such up-and-comer is designer Jiang Ling for "COMING". The name is silly because no one will ever be able to Google her, but perhaps Baidu will work soon. For now, you can take a peek at her collection here: