Top five: China's rising fashion stars
In celebration of Chinese New Year today, Buro 24/7 Middle East charts five fashion designers making their mark on the industry, made in China
An emerging fashion market that cannot be ignored, China is fast becoming one of the world's most exciting new style scenes, and people are certainly paying attention – with events such as Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week and Swarovski's Runway Rocks in Shanghai becoming regular fixtures on the international circuit. Join us in a run down of five fresh labels making an industry impact.
China's rising fashion stars
Huishan Zhang
The Huishan Zhang luxury apparel label was launched in 2010, inspired by his vision of being the first designer to successfully bridge the diversities between Chinese traditions and western influences. The results are timeless, elegant, feminine and romantic – full of historic references and modern twists. In May 2012 Zhang's original 'couture dragon dress' was collected by The V&A in London as a permanent art piece – the first time ever for a Chinese contemporary fashion designer. Now internationally recognised and stocked at boutiques throughout the USA, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Middle East, Russia and the UK, Zhang's home of London has also been a huge advocate of his development
China's rising fashion stars
China's rising fashion stars
Uma Wang
Before launching her eponymous label in 2005 in London, Uma Wang studied at China Textile University and Central Saint Martins. She also designed for various Chinese labels for a decade before developing her signature knitting techniques and defined her own style and aesthetic.
Since launching the brand, Uma Wang has received critical acclaim for her shows and presentations in Shanghai, London, Paris, and Milan. Wang has become a leader amongst the Chinese fashion industry by consistently producing high-quality products and collections that always balance fashion with functionality, and particularly skilled in mixing fabrics and textures to create simple but strong garments with subtle detailing. It's unique abilities like these that have positioned her to a huge name to know in the future.
China's rising fashion stars
Guo Pei
Having dressed many Chinese A-list stars for the red carpet, Guo Pei is the one of the most renowned names on China's fashion scene, and has been designing couture garments in Beijing – through her Atelier 'Mei Gui Fang' – for many years. Her creations reflect strong Oriental cultural elements, with a mix of classical fantasy and more modern avant-garde looks.
Pei dreams up and oversees every outfit under her fashion line, before handing over her ideas to over 400 craftsmen, all of whom are trained Pei, who is considered quite the artist in China. Her collections are entirely sewn by hand, with some dresses requiring over 50,000 hours of work before completion. Her last and most notable show (she doesn't work to regular seasons) was called 'The Legend of the Dragon', and took nearly 3 years of preparation, before showing at the Beijing Olympics in 2012, where she also oversaw the event's kits and costumes.
China's rising fashion stars
Qiu Hao
Hailing from a small town just outside of Shanghai, 35-yea-old Qiu Hao joined prestigious fashion ranks back in 2008 when he was awarded the Woolmark Prize, accompanying a select group of renowned designers.
China's rising fashion stars
Hao launched his first design line in 2003, which debuted in nine department stores throughout China, whilst partnering with a fellow designer to open a Shanghai boutique during the same year. In 2006, after returning from London where he earned his MA in Fashion Womenswear, he established the QIUHAO label as it is known today. It grew from strength to creative strength and in, 2010 Hao was named by Forbes as one of the 'top 25 most influential individuals in the Chinese Fashion Industry', and most recently he was nominated by WGSN for the 'Breakthrough Designer Award.'
China's rising fashion stars
China's rising fashion stars
Helen Lee
Helen Lee (or 'Li Hongyan' in Chinese) is one of Shanghai's foremost designers, and credited with reviving the fashion scene in the city. She trained at Donghua University, also in the city, which was formerly the East China Textile Institute, famous for training many successful designers.
China's rising fashion stars
Having launched a highly regarded denim brand in Japan, Lee set up her own label 'INSH' ('In Shanghai') in 2004, concentrating on dresses and outerwear. Today, Lee has set up her own store in the Taikang Lu district of the city, in a converted series of workshops that were saved from demolition in 2006. The designer then began her eponymous line in 2008, showing regularly at Shanghai Fashion Week and most recently collaborating with Disney for SS14, which saw Mickey and Minnie in thoughtfully constructed, artfully detailed looks, with an emphasis on blue denim.
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