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Chris Mai， a freelancer in her 30s living in Ningbo， Zhejiang Province， is a fan of BAN XIAOXUE， an apparel brand boasting original natureoriented designs. Most of the company’s clothes have a fairy-like feel to them， with price tags ranging from a dozen to several hundred dollars. First learning about the brand’s existence two years ago， she has now become a regular customer of its stores.
“I like the delicate yet melodious design of their clothes. They look special and elegant， but are also comfortable，” she told Beijing Review.
BAN XIAOXUE was established by Ban Xiaoxue， a Chinese designer， back in 2012. According to Ban， in an interview with Beijing Review， his design inspiration mainly derives from natural scenes and traditional， almost folkloric， styles. He intends to create clothes that integrate both contemporary and traditional Chinese elements and fit seamlessly into the daily life of the woman on the go.
Up until some five years ago， domestically designed clothing was not popular with Chinese consumers. Yet as the demand for originally designed clothes is on the rise， the brand has seen a jump in sales figures and gained wider attention， especially after the heroine of Rattan， an online fantasy drama that went viral earlier this year， was seen wearing its 2019 collection throughout the show， Ban said. It set the trend and created an appetite for clothes adorned with traditional patterns and references such as Chinese ink-painting.
Like BAN XIAOXUE， many homegrown apparel brands with innovative designs have seen expanding sales in recent years. Chinese consumers， especially the younger generations， have shown an upgraded sartorial gusto craving high quality as well as unique and fashionable designs. The combination of the factors has thrust China’s apparel design industry to the next level.
For Chinese designers， their own culture and aesthetics are not contradictory to current trends as fashion tends to repeat itself. Traditional elements are adopted on a large scale， making the China chic styles progressively popular. According to a report released by market consultancy iiMedia Research earlier this year， the younger generations have developed a growing confidence in their own heritage and showcased more affection toward homegrown brands featuring more refined quality and design.
Many domestic apparel and shoe brands， especially sportswear enterprises， have revived their design by adding a zest of China chic. Founded in 1990， Li Ning， a sportswear company， suffered losses of over 30 billion yuan （$4.6 billion） in 2012-14 due to over-expansion. During New York Fashion Week in February 2018， it presented a collection adorned with distinctive Chinese elements such as Chinese characters during the specially designated China Day showcase. The consequent global following resulted in a financial turnaround. Since then， the company has remained on the China chic track. Feiyue， a time-honored shoe brand in China， has also won over young people with products that are comfortable to wear and highlight a more vintage vibe. In April， the company introduced new products of which the colors and patterns were inspired by the golden rooftops and red pillars of the Palace Museum.
As traditional Chinese hanfu clothing became the daily getup of many an aficionado， the style’s booming sales have driven the related design and manufacturing industries. According to a report released by Alibaba’s online marketplace Tmall， its hanfu sales jumped 500 percent in 2020 from the previous year. iiMedia projected that the hanfu market would be worth well over 10.16 billion yuan （$1.5 billion） this year. Customized hanfu manufacturer Minghuatang， based in Guangdong Province， is famous for its bespoke tailoring and delicate designs. The price of a high-end suit set courtesy of the brand can reach up to some 10，000 yuan （$1，542）， as some of the embroidery can only be done by a skilled hand.
Zhong Yi， founder of Minghuatang， refers to historical records during the design process， aiming to make the brand’s products come as close as they possibly can to those described in ancient literature. To guarantee a sense of innovation， he has created many new patterns， especially those used on wedding dresses.
As China chic created a craze with domestic consumers， Chinese couturiers set out to introduce their works on the global stage.
Guo Pei has become well-known for her custom-made dresses. She has a penchant for the inclusion of manual embroidery starring Chinese elements such as dragons and wave motifs， as well as references to the traditional qipao—also referred to as the cheongsam. Singer Rihanna’s show-stopping canary yellow gown at the 2015 Met Gala in New York was one of Guo’s creations that got fashion editors worldwide talking about Chinese design.
Young designers， too， are entering the arena. Zhang Turan， 27， shares the same passion of designing dresses dripping with Chinese cultural elements. After viewing an exhibition on traditional Manchu ethnic clothing in 2015， Zhang felt inspired and decided to embark on her China chic journey. That same year， he developed his own brand SUNCUN and went on to become the youngest Chinese couturier ever to be invited to New York Fashion Week in 2019. His works based on Classic of Mountains and Seas， an ancient collection of Chinese mythology， geography and medicine， were also presented at Paris Fashion Week 2019. “I hope to pass on the exquisite skills of traditional Chinese costumes， all the while simplifying the styles to better fit the needs of modern life. China chic is a symbol of traditional Chinese culture and etiquette. Through magnificent and harmonious design， the clothes can be one of the best carriers of Chinese culture，” he told Beijing Review.
With domestic apparel design going global， international fashion resources have also flown into China as it furthers its opening up. Last year， in order to boost the mutual exchange in fashion design and trade， the governments of Milan， Italy， and Keqiao District of Shaoxing， Zhejiang Province， jointly opened an exhibition hall presenting Italian clothing materials to the greater public.
Keqiao is China’s largest gathering place for textile companies and also a global distribution center for fabrics. According to the local government， the cooperation with Milan intends to turn Keqiao into a Chinese hub of fashion and e-commerce， as well as a platform of international design exchanges.
While the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture has given designers more leeway to engage in some newfangled innovation， the newly uncovered territory does come with higher requirements.
“Although novel design can catch the eye， raw materials and workmanship are also important for the production of high-quality clothes，” Wang Jun， Executive President of the China Fashion Forum， an annual event on apparel design， told Economic Daily.
For designers， copycats are a major concern. According to a recent research report from the Institute of Internet Industry at Tsinghua University， blockchain technology can lend a helping hand in intellectual property protection as it allows designers to encipher their works， save the evidence and trace their usage by pirates.
The law is always on the side of the designers seeking to uphold their rights and interests， Yuan Bo， a judge with the Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People’s Court， said. BR
“I like the delicate yet melodious design of their clothes. They look special and elegant， but are also comfortable，” she told Beijing Review.
BAN XIAOXUE was established by Ban Xiaoxue， a Chinese designer， back in 2012. According to Ban， in an interview with Beijing Review， his design inspiration mainly derives from natural scenes and traditional， almost folkloric， styles. He intends to create clothes that integrate both contemporary and traditional Chinese elements and fit seamlessly into the daily life of the woman on the go.
Up until some five years ago， domestically designed clothing was not popular with Chinese consumers. Yet as the demand for originally designed clothes is on the rise， the brand has seen a jump in sales figures and gained wider attention， especially after the heroine of Rattan， an online fantasy drama that went viral earlier this year， was seen wearing its 2019 collection throughout the show， Ban said. It set the trend and created an appetite for clothes adorned with traditional patterns and references such as Chinese ink-painting.
Like BAN XIAOXUE， many homegrown apparel brands with innovative designs have seen expanding sales in recent years. Chinese consumers， especially the younger generations， have shown an upgraded sartorial gusto craving high quality as well as unique and fashionable designs. The combination of the factors has thrust China’s apparel design industry to the next level.
Indigenous elements
For Chinese designers， their own culture and aesthetics are not contradictory to current trends as fashion tends to repeat itself. Traditional elements are adopted on a large scale， making the China chic styles progressively popular. According to a report released by market consultancy iiMedia Research earlier this year， the younger generations have developed a growing confidence in their own heritage and showcased more affection toward homegrown brands featuring more refined quality and design.
Many domestic apparel and shoe brands， especially sportswear enterprises， have revived their design by adding a zest of China chic. Founded in 1990， Li Ning， a sportswear company， suffered losses of over 30 billion yuan （$4.6 billion） in 2012-14 due to over-expansion. During New York Fashion Week in February 2018， it presented a collection adorned with distinctive Chinese elements such as Chinese characters during the specially designated China Day showcase. The consequent global following resulted in a financial turnaround. Since then， the company has remained on the China chic track. Feiyue， a time-honored shoe brand in China， has also won over young people with products that are comfortable to wear and highlight a more vintage vibe. In April， the company introduced new products of which the colors and patterns were inspired by the golden rooftops and red pillars of the Palace Museum.
As traditional Chinese hanfu clothing became the daily getup of many an aficionado， the style’s booming sales have driven the related design and manufacturing industries. According to a report released by Alibaba’s online marketplace Tmall， its hanfu sales jumped 500 percent in 2020 from the previous year. iiMedia projected that the hanfu market would be worth well over 10.16 billion yuan （$1.5 billion） this year. Customized hanfu manufacturer Minghuatang， based in Guangdong Province， is famous for its bespoke tailoring and delicate designs. The price of a high-end suit set courtesy of the brand can reach up to some 10，000 yuan （$1，542）， as some of the embroidery can only be done by a skilled hand.
Zhong Yi， founder of Minghuatang， refers to historical records during the design process， aiming to make the brand’s products come as close as they possibly can to those described in ancient literature. To guarantee a sense of innovation， he has created many new patterns， especially those used on wedding dresses.
A larger stage
As China chic created a craze with domestic consumers， Chinese couturiers set out to introduce their works on the global stage.
Guo Pei has become well-known for her custom-made dresses. She has a penchant for the inclusion of manual embroidery starring Chinese elements such as dragons and wave motifs， as well as references to the traditional qipao—also referred to as the cheongsam. Singer Rihanna’s show-stopping canary yellow gown at the 2015 Met Gala in New York was one of Guo’s creations that got fashion editors worldwide talking about Chinese design.
Young designers， too， are entering the arena. Zhang Turan， 27， shares the same passion of designing dresses dripping with Chinese cultural elements. After viewing an exhibition on traditional Manchu ethnic clothing in 2015， Zhang felt inspired and decided to embark on her China chic journey. That same year， he developed his own brand SUNCUN and went on to become the youngest Chinese couturier ever to be invited to New York Fashion Week in 2019. His works based on Classic of Mountains and Seas， an ancient collection of Chinese mythology， geography and medicine， were also presented at Paris Fashion Week 2019. “I hope to pass on the exquisite skills of traditional Chinese costumes， all the while simplifying the styles to better fit the needs of modern life. China chic is a symbol of traditional Chinese culture and etiquette. Through magnificent and harmonious design， the clothes can be one of the best carriers of Chinese culture，” he told Beijing Review.
With domestic apparel design going global， international fashion resources have also flown into China as it furthers its opening up. Last year， in order to boost the mutual exchange in fashion design and trade， the governments of Milan， Italy， and Keqiao District of Shaoxing， Zhejiang Province， jointly opened an exhibition hall presenting Italian clothing materials to the greater public.
Keqiao is China’s largest gathering place for textile companies and also a global distribution center for fabrics. According to the local government， the cooperation with Milan intends to turn Keqiao into a Chinese hub of fashion and e-commerce， as well as a platform of international design exchanges.
Better tomorrow
While the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture has given designers more leeway to engage in some newfangled innovation， the newly uncovered territory does come with higher requirements.
“Although novel design can catch the eye， raw materials and workmanship are also important for the production of high-quality clothes，” Wang Jun， Executive President of the China Fashion Forum， an annual event on apparel design， told Economic Daily.
For designers， copycats are a major concern. According to a recent research report from the Institute of Internet Industry at Tsinghua University， blockchain technology can lend a helping hand in intellectual property protection as it allows designers to encipher their works， save the evidence and trace their usage by pirates.
The law is always on the side of the designers seeking to uphold their rights and interests， Yuan Bo， a judge with the Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People’s Court， said. BR