Tag: Fashion

Trends

How a Curvy Butt is the New Luxury Status Symbol in China

We’ve all seen the carefully curated gym pics going out on social media. But more than just a chance to flash the flesh, fitness and exercise have a whole new meaning in China. Fitness is the new status symbol of luxury and wealth.

Bling is tuhao (nouveau-riche and lacking in class), Gucci is ‘something my Mum wears’, and a YSL lipstick is fine for entry-level luxury. But if you want something that says ‘I have plenty of free time, I am as up-to-date as can be with international trends, and I am a class above’ – you want a toned bod with a booty to boot.

A fine physique takes much more money, know-how, and time to build. Shapes and muscles speak of privilege, and are fast becoming a badge of social status itself. A growing segment of China’s young, wealthy class is shifting attention from obvious brand purchase to fitness and bodybuilding. Continue reading “How a Curvy Butt is the New Luxury Status Symbol in China” →

Leaders

5 Questions with OOAK’s Alice Xu; Succeeding in China with omni-channel boutique fashion

Having begun in 2012 and now with over 230,000 followers on Taobao, a new Tmall store and the OOAK Concept Boutique, OOAK (One Of A Kind shopping experience) has realised the retailer’s ideal of a multi-faceted brand which features both Western and Chinese designers, even creating their own branded jewellery in the process.

We spoke to the Founder of OOAK, Alice Xu, about the journey. Continue reading “5 Questions with OOAK’s Alice Xu; Succeeding in China with omni-channel boutique fashion” →

Leaders

5 Questions With: Ms. MIN, Rising Star of China’s Boutique Designer Scene

The story of Ms MIN began in Fuzhou, a city far from the catwalks of New York. It began during her secondary school life, when a teenage Liu Min used to accompany her mother to shop for fabrics that were then tailor-made into unique garments. This mutual interest led her towards a future path to the design world.

After a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design of Women’s wear from London College of Fashion, Liu Min’s own brand was launched in 2010 — Ms MIN. Continue reading “5 Questions With: Ms. MIN, Rising Star of China’s Boutique Designer Scene” →

Leaders

5 Questions With: Lu Yan, Founder and Owner of Comme Moi. “You can’t establish a brand just by being able to design”

Comme Moi, meaning “Like Me” in French, is a contemporary designer label founded in 2013 by one of China’s most famous super models – Lu Yan. Lu Yan has her reasons to name the brand “Like Me”.

As a young Chinese girl from a small remote village of Jiang Xi, Lu Yan ventured out of the country at the tender age of eighteen and made her way to the international fashion metropolis Paris, after being scouted by two modeling agents in Beijing.

Now thirty-six, married and with one young son, Lu Yan truly represents the modern generation of Chinese youth – hard-working, determined and willing to learn.

Continue reading “5 Questions With: Lu Yan, Founder and Owner of Comme Moi. “You can’t establish a brand just by being able to design”” →

Tips

5 Things British Brands in China Can Learn From Shanghai’s ‘Best of British’ Exhibition

Last week saw over 150 British brands and several thousand Chinese visitors attend the Best of British exhibition —organised by Media Ten — to network, connect, learn and strengthen partnerships between China and the UK.

The timing was perfect, with Xi’s announcement at the 19th National Communist‎ Congress, taking place in Beijing, that China was continuing to focus on “opening up” for business across the world.

Continue reading “5 Things British Brands in China Can Learn From Shanghai’s ‘Best of British’ Exhibition” →

Analysis

We Dared to Ask: Is Fashion Week Still Relevant?

Last week saw Shanghai thrill to its own Fashion Week. The rapid growth and increasing interest from local and global fashion industries are proof of the Chinese fashion community’s potential.

While SHFW may still be far-off the original Western events, the atmosphere is one of pure optimism and fascination of the new.

As Fashion Week season relentlessly rolled through Europe and New York, different discussions were being had. Alongside the still-present clamouring and gushing adoration, you might also have picked up the questioning of its status – and even the evaluation of its relevance.

Continue reading “We Dared to Ask: Is Fashion Week Still Relevant?” →