Is The Chinese Designer Ready For The International Stage?

Shanghai is always rainy in early spring, but Shanghai fashion week is still on schedule.

LED billboards of countless Chinese fashion brands are shining in fashion week venues and business circles. Whether you really notice them or not, everything that this week has revealed a little bit about the ambition of China's fashion industry.

Many people are looking forward to the city being able to surpass Tokyo and Seoul and become Asia's next fashion capital.

In fact, McKinsey Co and BoF released the 2019 fashion report, which has pointed out that this year, China will surpass the United States and become the world's largest fashion market.

This does not sound so surprising. After all, almost half of the world's luxuries are bought by Chinese consumers. Overseas fashion brands are increasingly dependent on the emerging markets of the emerging middle class, and China's textile manufacturing industry is creating endless wealth for this country.

But a paradoxical paradox is, if China can have such a heavy weight influence on clothing consumption, production and export, why do we still wear clothes designed in the US, Europe and Japan? Why do we rarely see Chinese designer brands in overseas fashion department stores?

With this doubt, I came to the scene of the BoF China Prize China awards, which was held during the fashion week in Shanghai and the first international competition designed for the rookie of China.

The winners will receive a cash prize of $100 thousand, support from the BoF community and the opportunity to hold fashion shows in London Fashion Week this month, 9.

When asked about the reason for the award, Imran Amed, founder of BoF, said: "we need to provide a platform for Chinese design rookies to introduce them to fashion groups around the world, especially in Europe and America.

These Chinese designers are extremely talented and talented, and I want to help them go to the international stage.

From the perspective of business feasibility and design, six groups of Chinese designers entered the finals.

These designers live and work all over the world.

It includes CAROLINE HU, a permanent resident in New York, Belgium, SHUTING QIU, the XU ZHI headquartered in London, STAFFONLY from Shanghai, PRONOUNCE with offices in Shanghai and Milan, and PH5 in New York and Guangzhou.

In Imran's words, they are "One foot abroad, One foot in China (both overseas and China)".

The top designers of these cutting-edge designers have graduated from the most prestigious fashion design schools overseas.

Most of them even have worked in famous Western designer studios.

For example, Chen Xu Zhi, one of the designers of the competition, was born in Shaoxing, China. She studied costume design at the central Saint Martin Institute in London. After graduation, she joined Craig Green and J.W. Anderson studios.

And set up a personal brand XuZhi in 2014.

The designer with the dexterous skill has won the recognition of the industry and the market with unique yarn weaving techniques. She has received orders from the Dover Street Market and OpeningCeremony stores, and has also been nominated by the LVMH Youth Design Award.

Fashion consultant Julie Gilhart describes him as "an example of Chinese traditional craft plus Western influence".

Chen's embrace of the international fashion vision embraces the culture of his country of birth and appreciates everything that international education provides for him.

He said, "central Saint Martin has made me more modern, and I am also myself."

Hu Yingqi, the winner of this BoF China Prize prize, has a master's degree in central Saint Martin's undergraduate and Parsons School of design.

She explains her unique aesthetics by alternately stacked gauze skirts, romantic DNA and exquisite multi-level handwork details.

Although not long after graduation, the brand name CAROLINE HU, founded in 2018, left a deep impression on fashion circles.

"Today is my personal second series, so it is really a very young brand.

My home is in Shenzhen, but most of the time I work in New York.

I now have a plan to set up another studio in China.

Ying Qi, who returned to the backstage after announces the results of the award, firmly told me some of her ideas.

As Imran said, "ten years ago, I came to Shanghai and longed to find talented and innovative Chinese designers. But at that time, there were only a few harvest and ten years of rapid pformation. I found that there are too many creative Chinese designers."

It is easy to see that many fashion designers who left home to go to the fashion capital of the world are constantly emerging.

This is not individual behavior, but has formed a group effect.

The new generation of Chinese designers like Chen Xuzhi and Caroline have gained many fashion experiences from western fashion industry.

They have a forward-looking outlook and a more pioneering and comprehensive view of fashion. They are also good at re linking their own culture with their own unique understanding and fashion.

Familiarity with eastern and Western culture and fashion industries enables them to develop at home and abroad and open up a multi-dimensional fashion market.

Chinese designer Uma Wang (Wang Zhi) is one of the judges of the BoF awards. According to her recollection, there are not many opportunities for Chinese designers when she first started her career.

Neither the industry nor the media has given them much support. Everything at that time was "very quiet".

But in recent years, we can see the change of Chinese consumers' attitudes and the support of designers in China's fashion industry.

Chinese fashion consumers are exploring their own buying ways, instead of looking beyond the outside world, and looking around.

The new generation of young people is eager to buy brands that the previous generation of consumers never heard of. When these fashion customers do not focus on buying "big cards" and turn to prefer clothes that can be regarded as "more unique", this brings good opportunities for Chinese designer brands.

Not only Chinese consumers are maturing, but with the standardization of China's fashion industry and the rising value chain, more and more platforms are supporting local designers in various ways.

For example, the avant-garde incubator, such as LABELHOOD, and the increase in the number of Chinese designer brand buyers, there are many people in the market who can help designers to "shout".

When young designers graduated, China's fashion market began to offer them a display platform, sales channels, media and consumers, which were not imagined by Chinese designers five to ten years ago.

The more mature local fashion ecosystem began to work together, perhaps all of which gave us reason to believe that Chinese designers had the courage to get the recognition that should be given in the more developed international fashion field.

Of course, if we want to explore whether the new generation of Chinese designers can make more powerful voice on the international stage, designers will have the most say.

NOWRE made an exclusive interview with designer Hu Yingqi and Chen Xu in the background of the BoF China Prize China awards.

Chatting with them about whether the Chinese designers are ready in the face of western fashion industry? What are they prepared for?

Personal brand CAROLINE HU Designer

Why did you sign up for the BoF China Prize award?

Hu Yingqi:

In January of this year, I released the first series of CAROLINE HU in New York.

I know that the operation of personal brand needs FinancialSupport, so my way is to "compete".

I voted for LVMH and BoF. I hope that I can get more support. Without support from all sides, it is impossible to create my own brand.

And the LVMH awards won the BoF awards 20 or even today, which made me feel very lucky.

Hu Yingqi:

The designers who entered the finals were very strong. I dare not say that they have the advantage of being different from others.

I'm just sticking to what I want to do.

Because my design may not be particularly commercialized, so I always insist on designing my favorite style as a challenge.

I like artistic design, which is why I am determined to make personal brand.

Now that we have created our own brand, there must be something I want to insist on.

Artistry is what I want to insist on.

Hu Yingqi:

For me, practicality is actually a very difficult word to define.

After all, for today's people, there is no shortage of clothes at all, is it? I have different understanding of the definition of real wear.

When an artistic garment can be placed on the body, it is actually worn.

For example, COMME des GAR ONS can be loved by many people, even if it is very abstract and artistic.

I think the audience's tastes are becoming more and more diverse. I believe that we can find our own position in the era of people's rich and tolerant fashion orientation.

Hu Yingqi:

I think that time was precious.

It does not mean that we will learn much in school, but what we see in that environment can be a great benefit.

In such an environment, people can quickly grasp their style and understand what they like and are good at.

It's also important for you to be confident and stick to your own style.

Hu Yingqi:

Because my brand is just beginning. At this stage, I think the important thing is to be brave enough to do what we want to do.

No matter facing the West or the East, sometimes do not compromise too much.

The compromise may be the case, "this is not a side, nor can it be sold there."

You may have seen many successful designers who didn't applaud when they first started.

But persist over a certain period of time, you will gradually know and appreciate your design language.

Therefore, the designer's insistence is the essence of a brand.

Besides, I don't think a designer's way can be repeated. As a designer, in essence, we are doing creative things.

In the exploratory stage, it is not always appropriate to refer to other designers' route.

Everyone has to find his own route and his own style.

Otherwise, the meaning of designer brand is gone.

Hu Yingqi:

I feel ready.

I see a lot of Chinese designers who can make strong voice internationally.

For example, designers who participated in the competition today have strong design features and personal identities, and they also believe in what they are doing.

This gives you a kind of energy that can not be put anywhere.

Personal brand XU ZHI Designer

You worked in some famous Western designers' studios. How did these experiences affect you?

Chen Shu Zhi:

First of all, compared with domestic clothing companies, most of them were mainly commercial brands before, and they were all large scale ones.

Many years ago, there were few independent design studios in China.

But many Western brands may be just one or more than ten companies.

Like J.W. Anderson, when I worked there, there were only 12 people.

And when Craig Green works, fewer people.

But what they are doing is very influential "big business". I think this environment is particularly interesting.

The mode of these studios can provide a very intuitive way for our independent designers to start their business.

Chen Shu Zhi:

There must be a balance between them.

As a designer, you need to know what your guests need and who you are designing for.

As a mature brand, it is also necessary to seek the needs of the audience.

Meet their needs through their own unique language.

Chen Shu Zhi:

In my opinion, no matter in the western market or in the domestic market, no matter where, the requirements for all designers are the same.

They all need to include the factors that the designer brand needs, such as the unique design of the brand, and the great operation on the other hand.

Chen Shu Zhi:

There are so many things that can distinguish us, but in the final analysis, each brand is independent.

Whether Chinese or foreign brands, designers' personal aesthetics must be above all things, or the positioning of a brand must be above all things.

At this point, it is not necessary to divide the country by country.

Chen Shu Zhi:

I think Chinese designers must be ready.

Otherwise, we will not get the support from the market, media, industry, customers and all aspects from home and abroad.

It also includes the grand prize held by BoF today.

Chinese designers, as a group, are in a wonderful and able stage to grow together.

In China's fashion industry, both upstream and downstream are helping us.

Let's get more influence from these designer brands.

Chen Shu Zhi:

I think the difference between western fashion industry and western market is that the western market already has a very mature system, from supply chain to retail to the media, it is a very complete environment and atmosphere.

This is what the Chinese fashion industry is learning.

For example, there may be more and more buyer shops in recent years. In recent years, there have been many reports about independent designers in the media. I think China's fashion industry has a complete model of learning the West.

But in the process of exploration, I think there will be many new models that are not exactly the same as those in the west, which can cater for the needs of the local market.

We are in the process of exploring ahead.

Leng Yun, a scholar with profound research on the Chinese and Western fashion industry system, has described the first three generation of fashion designers in China: the first generation of Chinese fashion designers (Twentieth Century 80 era) was driven by art, concerned about their Chinese identity, but not very successful in commerce. The second generation (1990s) was more pragmatic and professional, and began to enjoy business success; the third generation (21 century) was more modern and diversified, but inclined to "copy" western design skills.

Whether you agree with such an evaluation, it is undeniable that the current generation of Chinese designers themselves, and the environment they have, the resources they possess are quite different from those of previous generations.

The leader of the new generation of Chinese designers no longer sticks to their identity, puts aside cultural restrictions and actively resists the western world.

They understand the symbiotic relationship between fashion and commercial value, and embrace fashion design as a citizen of the world.

They are young and plastic, with full personality and persistence, creativity and originality.

They make us believe that something is changing. In the future, Chinese fashion can tell some stories to the world.