Sankuanz, Fall Winter 2015, London Collections: Men. Courtesy of Catwalking.com
Earlier in September the show “China: Through the Looking Glass” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, came to an end – and it will go down in history as one of the most-visited fashion exhibition ever. Curated by fashion historian Andrew Bolton it was dedicated to the influence of Chinese culture on western designers.
Exquisite chinoiserie dresses by John Galliano, Ming-inspired pieces by Roberto Cavalli and red Valentino dresses were juxtaposed with the original blue porcelain and red Chinese robes from Met’s Asian section. As Andrew Bolton admitted the exhibition was “not about China per se – but about a China that exists in a collective fantasy”. In other words – about the China of Orientalist fantasies – a mysterious land of exquisite porcelain, patterned silk and strange customs.
Uma Wang, Autumn/Winter 2015. Courtesy of Access Fashion Media and the designer
The real China is, however, strikingly different from its Orientalist image in the west. Its role in the fashion world is no longer limited to being a source of inspiration for western designers. China’s market for luxury goods is the world’s largest and the world’s youngest – according to consulting agency McKinsey and Company, about 80% of the Chinese luxury goods consumers are under 45 which proves that China’s importance as a global luxury consumer will only grow in the coming years. However, not only the Chinese consumers play the key role in the fashion industry – Chinese designers have also been gathering attention in the past years. The shows by Uma Wang, Masha Ma, Xander Zhou, Sankuanz and Huishan Zhang have long since turned into the highlights of the big four fashion weeks, while the Shanghai Fashion Weeks are steadily growing in the international circuit.
Uma Wang, Autumn/Winter 2015. Courtesy of Access Fashion Media and the designer
Among the above-mentioned designers Uma Wang is the one who most vividly assimilates traditional Chinese elements in her works. Her voluminous silhouettes make you think of the roomy 19th-century robes, the patterns on the heavy fabrics evoke the proverbial dragon ornaments and yet the traditional elements appear ruthlessly modernised – the shoulders of the dresses are broad and the models have a military stance. While in the collective fantasy of the western designers China has been inevitably associated with delicate and shy women, clad in thin silks, Wang creates a totally different image of a self-confident and somewhat combatant woman.
Sankuanz, Fall Winter 2015, London Collections: Men. Courtesy of Catwalking.com
The young generation of the Chinese designers stands between the east and the west. Most of them – like Masha Ma, Qiu Hao or Huishan Zhang – studied outside China and worked at internationally acclaimed fashion houses before founding their own brands. Their works are deeply rooted in the Chinese culture but strongly influenced by the western fashion tradition. For instance, Huishan Zhang implements haute couture t
echniques he learned at Dior along with the traditional Chinese craftsmanship. Shangguan Zhe, the designer behind the streetswear brand Sankuanz is clear about his influences: various Chinese teenage subcultures and living conditions in China. At the same time the designer successfully uses the international sportswear staples to channel his ideas.
echniques he learned at Dior along with the traditional Chinese craftsmanship. Shangguan Zhe, the designer behind the streetswear brand Sankuanz is clear about his influences: various Chinese teenage subcultures and living conditions in China. At the same time the designer successfully uses the international sportswear staples to channel his ideas.
When asked if there is anything typically Chinese in her works, Chen Ping of Parichen answered that it’s more her way of thinking, largely influenced by the ideas of the “yin yang philosophy and harmony between man and nature” rather than “copying the traditional symbols of the Chinese culture”.
These Chinese designers tell the story of China from within. Apart from the universally known elements of Chinese culture they know how difficult it is to overcome the prejudice of the “Made in China” tag and what it takes to give a brand international reach. One of the positive outcomes of globalisation and postmodernism is the right previously marginalised cultures gained to proclaim their own stories themselves – and the ones Chinese designers are telling are rather revolutionising ones.
Parichen, collection I. Courtesy of Parichen
Text by Ira Solomatina