What have you heard of the recent China Fashion Week? This season, the top story — if not only story — that trickled over to western press was about the three models tripping over on the runway whilst wearing platforms at the SECCRY by Hu Sheguang show on Sunday. A cute/lols story, but given that China Fashion Week was established in 1997 and wrapped up on Monday after an 8-day run of 839 shows, it's a little.... odd. And why? Mainly due to China’s parallel universe of social media platforms, where they use Weibo and WeChat instead of Twitter and Facebook, which means that most of the good coverage gets lost in translation.
Lucky you've got us, then! Think of us as your sartorial translator. Held twice a year in Beijing and scheduled a few weeks after the main month-long circuit of revolving fashion week cities, China Fashion Week is a mixed-bag platform with a schedule that ranges from emerging independent local designers, to big commercial domestic brands, and an ever-growing handful of international fashion houses who are keen to court the world’s fastest-growing luxury market on its home turf (PREEN and Issey Miyake were on this year’s roster).
So here are the three Chines labels you need to know about now:
Simon Gao
Also known as Gao Yang, Simon Gao is without a doubt the Chinese designer-of-the-moment right now. Having been invited to show at London Fashion Week in February (the front row included Georgia Jagger, Daisy Lowe and Tinie Tempah), his show this past week in Beijing elaborated even further on the drama of his AW14 collection. Models in full-leather looks, draped kimono cuts and sleeveless silhouettes stalked through a smoke clouded catwalk to show off his modernist designs.
Ban Xiao Xue
Young, up-and-coming designer Ban Xiaoxue won the Chinese leg of the much coveted Woolmark Award and is now one of China's hottest ones to watch. His latest collection featured flowy, drapey organic shapes and textured fabrics. The runway was treated to look like stylized pavement and grass, giving his unique shapes and cuts a bucolic, super down-to-earth vibe.
**Marisfrolg **
As one of China’s biggest homegrown fashion houses - with a whopping 400 stores across China, South Korea, Singapore and Macau - Marisfrolg is steadily taking over as the go-to Chinese fashion brand for elegant womenswear. Think along the lines of Joseph, but with a distinctly East Asian touch. Their latest collection got rave reviews at China Fashion Week, mixing fabrics like leather, fur, wool and neoprene to make long-lined, structured, super-feminine silhouettes. You can't currently buy Marisfrolg outside of Asia, but considering they just bought Krizia - a hugely successful ready to wear line in Italy - we're thinking that's all going to change soon.
There's not currently much Chinese fashion we can get our hands on, right here, right now - unless you travel there, duh - which is why we love Shanghainese e-store Front Row Shop. The e-Topshop of China, we're placing orders quicker than you can say ' did someone just fall over?'
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Pictures: Corbis, Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.