The New Era of Chinese Fashion
China's fashion industry probably won't be as developed as its European counterparts. According to industry insiders, the fashion industry in China is quickly growing and it will soon be coming into its own. China's presence is rapidly growing in the global fashion network. Caroline Rush, the CEO of the British Fashion Council said that the evolution of the Shanghai Fashion Week is one of the most obvious examples of the emergence of China in the fashion industry.
She also added that when she initially came to Shanghai Fashion Week in 2014, there was just a single tent in Xintiandi and a few events scattered around. Presently, the fashion week took control over the city. There are also huge numbers of more joint efforts with international accomplices being made.
According to Adrian Yu, a buyer for luxury retailer Lane Crawford, designers like Liu Min, the founder of fashion brand Ms Min, led the advancement of the Chinese fashion scene through the years. He also added that Ms Min started out very small but they now have stores all around the world. It is one of those brands that have put the Made in China label on the international stage.
Recently Chinese designers began to appear more frequently at Paris Fashion Week. Through this, they were able to show their creations to international buyers. Some designers were even been scouted by influential stores in Europe. This is all a great achievement for the Chinese fashion sector.
Another development at SFW this year, which kept running from March 27 to April 8, was the introduction of the inaugural Business of Fashion China Prize was won via Caroline Hu, the New York-based Shenzhen local who has been praised for her manifestations. Famous design magazine Vogue even remarked that "her dresses have a place at the Oscars".
Great designs alone cannot guarantee one's success in the market as the fashion industry is not only an art form but also a business. The partnership with industry players is an integral part of the development of designers development in order for them to get international recognition. Lane Crawford is one of such supporters of emerging local designers.
Joanna Gunn, the chief brand officer for the Hong Kong-headquartered company said that Lane Crawford has over the past 10 years groomed more than 20 Chinese designers. This company also provided them with invaluable insights into the market. Ms Min, Helen Lee, Uma Wang, Ffixxed Studios, etc. are some of the other Chinese design labels that Lane Crawford has supported.
Labelhood is one of the other organizations that have played a key role in nurturing emerging designers. This has been featured at SFW since 2016. Labelhood organized China Styling Bloggers as part of SFW this year. This event was featured by 20 bloggers and influencers modeling for the Fall/Winter 2019 collections of five local designers including Ming Ma, Yirantian, Sarayun and Samuel Gui Yang.
Labelhood is one of the other organizations that have played a key role in nurturing emerging designers. This has been featured at SFW since 2016. Labelhood organized China Styling Bloggers as part of SFW this year. This event was featured by 20 bloggers and influencers modeling for the Fall/Winter 2019 collections of five local designers including Ming Ma, Yirantian, Sarayun and Samuel Gui Yang. Labelhood also conducted two-panel discussions besides fashion showcases. Italian clothing brand Diesel's founder Renzo Rosso, the chief editor of iWeekly Liang Jiajun, and Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, the founder of Vestoj participated in this discussion.
Yu notes that even though industry players expect to see more creations by Chinese designers appear on international fashion runways and in retail stores, there is still room for improvement. He also stated that the lack of a distinct identity that resonates with consumers and buyers is one of the biggest challenges emerging designers face.
Conclusion
The fashion industry in China is developing over the years. More designers from China are gaining international recognition. Many international players are supporting these designers to promote their designs and to introduce these designs in the global fashion industry. Many young designers are being benefited from this support given by the international players because they were able to step in to international spot light.