Local Designers, Fashion Houses Showcased As Fashion Editors, Buyers And Models Converge In Capital City#
This week, the fashion world turns its collective eye toward Beijing, where China Fashion Week kicks into gear. This year, with more than 40 shows planned, representing more than 50 labels -- many of them created by domestic designers -- China Fashion Week is expected to put extra emphasis on China's rapidly developing fashion industry. As the Global Times notes, this weekend's industry preview started the show off with a bang:
Officially opening last night with NE TIGER's Butterfly and Fan-Good Karma collection, the industry preview Sunday saw stunning film star Gong Li dressed in a Peking Opera-inspired Aimer evening gown by the label's chief designer Zhang Hongyu.
The NE TIGER collection drew on traditional embroidery techniques with a modern interpretation, the combination of old and new expected by many observers to be a common thread this season.
"You will see designs that suit up with a feel-good vision of spring-bright colors, attention to details, especially with shoulders this year and deliberate styles that last beyond the fluctuation of the economy," revealed established designer Guo Pei.
According to the president of China Fashion Week, Wang Qing, "This year's event will prominently feature domestic talents and brand names." Events such as fashion week are a great chance for these domestic brand names to gain international visibility, something that will become increasingly crucial as these domestic brands fight to build their Mainland consumer base and compete with the major domestic labels that have dominated the China fashion scene for the last twenty years. With many foreign fashion houses abstaining from China Fashion Week, mainly because of the global economic slowdown, the stage is set for independent, designer-owned labels from throughout China to gain their share of the spotlight.
As the Global Times article points out, this shift indicates that China's fashion market is developing from a simple export market to a demand-driven, more domestic-focused model:
One of the highlights of the week is the inclusion of several Taiwan-based designers. Wedding dress designer Tsai Meiyue, knitwear queen Gioia Pan as well as lingerie brand Ordifen will take to the runway while a joint showcase by 10 Taiwan-based labels is expected to steal the show.
Men's fashion is also a hot ticket with works from established commercial brands such as Cabbeen, to individual designers including Wang Yutao and Zeng Fengfei, all on the event's agenda.
China Fashion Week will also boast the largest number of industry competitions in its 12-year history with up-and-coming talent given the opportunity to shine.
Haute couture features highly, with a roster of China's top creative minds in the industry, including Qi Gang, Liang Zi, Guo Pei and Mark Cheung, all expected to thrill.
China Fashion Week will conclude this year with White Collar's Spring/Summer 2010 collection and the China Fashion Awards on November 9 at the Banquet Hall of Beijing Hotel.