M4 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009 METRO DAILY

Bespoke tailor a perfectly suited career Style By Wang Wei

For Guo Pei, fashion de- signer to the stars, a well- made dress can fix anything survives — even a marriage. The client list at Rose Studio, which she opened in in 1997, reads like a who’s who of China’s rich and famous. But few people financial will know she is also a suc- cessful “agony aunt”. When one customer told her that she felt her child and husband weren’t close to her, Guo advised her not to wear crisis serious suits and tie her hair up at home. And she made her dresses with soft fabric and mild colors. “She told me it worked perfectly.” Guo, in her early 40s, was one of the first to offer bespoke tailoring in Beijing. Before launching her own business in 1997, she was regarded as one of China’s top 10 designers and earned 10,000 yuan ($1,400) per garment working for a com- pany. Yet she was desperate to establish her own brand and escape the confines of conventional design. One day in 2000, a friend asked her to make a dress for him. At first Guo was reluc- tant as she felt being a tailor would lower her status as a designer. But she made the clothes, and in the follow- ing months, more and more designer Guo Pei poses with a dress of her creation in her Beijing studio. Wang Jing clients knocked on her door. Then Guo decided to shift her By Wang Wei swiftly, the nation’s nouveau totally worth it,” said Wang, 33, boosted the bespoke market. tailoring caters only to the su- focus to bespoke tailoring. riche has acquired a taste for I think some are just chief representative in Beijing for “It took almost 10 years to per rich. In China, the market Now Guo said her big- luxury goods. One of the results addicted to the idea a Danish IT company. develop the market,” Yang said. is gradually shifting from the gest wish is to push “design in People may have been forced is the soaring popularity of The popularity of bespoke “Beijing has gone from none to super rich to average citizens China” on the world stage. to forego the more luxurious haute couture fashion, which of collecting tailor- tailoring in China is down to more than 200 bespoke tailor with decent incomes. “I would like to design things in life during the global originated in France in the 19th made clothes. the general elevation in people’s shops now. And it’s still expand- A manager surnamed Fan dresses for politicians at economic slowdown, but style is century. living standards, according to ing swiftly.” at Queenree, a tailor shop in home and broad,” she said. one thing that will never go out Rose Studio has more than GUO PEI Yang Jian, secretary general According to fashion experts, Chaoyang district, said that “If they wear my dresses of fashion in China. 1,000 regular customers, most- Designer for the organizing committee of there are two major differences customers mainly fall into three when they visit foreign Business has continued to ly movie stars, businesspeople China Fashion Week. between the Chinese and for- categories: white collars, busi- countries, it would be a huge boom for bespoke tailors in and politicians in Beijing. Guo Before 1996, most had no eign haute couture markets. In nesspeople and expats. recognition.” Beijing. “I didn’t feet the pinch said many clients buy 30 to 40 For Wang Ying, she definitely concept of bespoke tailoring, Europe and the US, 95 percent Office ladies whose annual She also said that she during last year’s economic tur- dresses every year and some got the most of her tailor-made Yang said. People went to tailors of customers are female, while in income exceeds 200,000 yuan hopes to get a chance to moil,” said Guo Pei, president of have been buying from her for dresses. She recently spent more simply because they charged China, male and female make an were one of the store’s biggest design a cheongsam for US Rose Studio, one of the capital’s more than 10 years. Membership than 12,000 yuan — almost a less than shops that sold ready- equal number of purchases. The clients, said Fan. First Lady Michelle Obama. first bespoke tailor shops based fee is 50,000 yuan ($7，300), from third of her monthly salary — on made clothes. But as people have reason is that Chinese men are “Their jobs require them to “I think simple and noble in Chaoyang district. which the cost of garments will three specially-made garments grown less concerned with the generally richer and more power- frequently attend social events,” styles fits her most. I will go Guo said business increased be reduced. for her big day: a white wedding fundamentals of food, shelter and ful, and expensive clothes are a he said. “And they believe spe- with purple or blue with gold by 30 percent year on year in “I think some are just addicted gown, a purple dress and a tra- simple clothing, they have begun symbol of their social status. cially-made gowns will show off phoenix embroidered on the 2008. to the idea of collecting tailor- ditional red cheongsam. to pursue luxury extras like The other difference is that, their personality and charm at dress.” As the economy has developed made clothes,” she said. “It was expensive but it was exquisite garments, which has in developed countries, bespoke these events.”

Hat designer to the nouveau riche UK milliner inspired by China By Christine Laskowski

By Christine Laskowski recognizable, and featured Wearing the craziest hat in the ruby-studded chopsticks on a crowd — a hot pink feather black sequined cap. “Fireworks,” creation — it was impossible An unusual fashion show was featured pink, yellow and orange not to notice Elisabeth Koch. held at The Ritz-Carlton recent- tulle and black spirals emanat- Seated at a table, her portfo- ly. It featured slender, young ing down the side. lio in-hand, the 31-year-old Chinese models who strutted One hat offered a more stand- Beijing-based hat designer around the Victorian tearoom ard feather and lace design, and quashed any notion that David wearing stunning black and this was followed by a creation Shilling was pioneering couture silver cocktail dresses, but it that featured simple, delicate hats in China. Elisabeth Koch was hard to notice them. white flowers blossoming out of Founder of Elisabeth Koch and the serenity of nature, to the Everyone’s gaze was directed a ponytail. Millinery, Koch has been de- intergalactic. Her method is rem- toward what rested, and some- Another was a cross between veloping her business and her iniscent of British designer David times coiled around, or even a hat and a wrap, which wound brand in Beijing for the past Shilling’s — get yourself noticed. sprung from their heads. like a snake around the model’s two years. “I started making A party-goer to the extent that It was a hat show, but not an neck and head. hats when I got to Beijing,” she she was ranked one of Insider ordinary hat show. It featured But most memorable were the said. “I used to be a banker and magazine’s top 100 socialites the work of legendary milliner meta-hats, the black and white I just remember thinking to my- of 2009, Koch got herself into and fashion designer David Shil- striped hatboxes refashioned to self: ‘I gotta leave this banking the Chinese fashion scene by ling, whose hat collections have be worn, the second of which world and do something I really attending parties wearing hats been bought by Bloomingdale’s, could only be described as some want to do.’” of her own creation. Bergdorf’s and Neiman Marcus, sort of hatbox burqa, with slots Her success can be attested Her hats are priced between displayed in The Louvre and The for the eyes that could be opened by the prevalence of her hats in 1,500-4,000 yuan. The reason, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and closed. “This is hilarious. I’m top Chinese fashion magazines she said, is she tailor-makes worn by celebrities like Kylie British hat designer David Shilling tips his hat beside models wearing his creations in Beijing. going crazy,” squealed Elisabeth such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue most of them for clients. “If they Minogue and Raquel Welch Zhang Wei Koch, a milliner seated in the au- and Insider, among others. Fa- want hats covered in pheasant and members of the British and ion, entered the London scene “Some people are inventors 1 million pounds. dience. “I have so many ideas!” mous Chinese film stars have feathers I do it, so those are European royal families. right as miniskirts and flared of cures for diseases, clever At The Ritz-Carlton show on Even without any concrete worn them. Zhou Xun and Li crazy expensive.” It was the first time Shilling, trousers were being replaced people invent technologies,” he Nov 12, Shilling said China had answers for prospects regard- Bingbing of recent spy thriller It is too soon to say whether aged 53, had traveled to Beijing, by platform shoes and jersey said. “What I’ve done is invent inspired his work, particularly ing the launch of his own stores The Message, wore her hats these two foreign milliners will a city he describes as “looking for dresses. modern hats. I’ve reinvented the two hats called “Fireworks” and or cooperation with local malls in the film. be collaborative or competitive, the right kind of change”. With a design approach that modern hat.” “Chop Chop”. and boutiques, Shilling was none Two stores in Beijing stock but it is Koch who knows the “I believe it is absolutely es- is fashionable, but not necessar- His socialite mother Ger- The hats were a fusion of too elliptical about the mark he her hats: Eric Paris in the Kerry market. “I actually have more sential for designers to come ily functional, Shilling made a trude used to wear one of her Audrey Hepburn elegance with plans to leave here. Center and Sanlitun Patio, and foreign clients, but they buy to Beijing,” he said. “I think niche for himself at a time not son’s designs to Royal Ascot in a penchant for the outlandish, “I think the exciting thing in she has plans to sell them in fewer hats,” she said. While the possibilities in China are so generally associated with hat London every year and one hat and transformed the models Beijing is people are looking for Shanghai. Last month she held she has fewer Chinese clients, enormous, and I like the scale fashion. was sized at over 1.5 meters. In into birds that seemed to have the right kind of change,” he as- a fashion show at LAN Club that they are prone to buy more. — big.” “I chose to do hats in the 70s 2007, he made the world’s most been plucked from some exotic serted. “I want to incorporate the featured hats inspired by every- “One Chinese woman, a col- Shilling, who says he had no when nobody was doing it,” he expensive hat, using diamonds, and futuristic flock. best of the past with the new and thing from local Beijing markets lector, bought 40 hats at once.” formal education in art or fash- explained. pearls, rubies, garnets priced at “Chop Chop”, was instantly make it David Shilling.”

Obama served up world-class luxuries during his first visit By Cui Xiaohuo hotel gym and ate dim sum ier in an interview just after panorama view of the diplo- director Oscar Martinez. at a glorious Turkish dining Obama left Beijing. matic areas in east Beijing. “Instead, you present table. “We are sought after by “Every item in Suite 1908 your options and let them Barack Obama, the first Yngvar Stray, who recently world leaders who look for is unique and can’t be found choose.” African-American president took over as general manager an infrastructure that meets elsewhere in the world,” “To facilitate the needs of in US history, was treated to at the St. Regis Hotel in the the sophistications of their said Donna Dong, the hotel’s dignities, we try to anticipate a diverse blend of culture in heart of the capital’s embassy needs.” marketing communications their wants in advance,” his first trip to China after area, said the hotel was a Obama’s suite in Beijing director. added Stray. taking office in 2009. perfect choice for the West was located on the top floor “They are all tailor- Stray also had the op - Caterers for the global icon Wing. of the 19-storey building. made.” portunity to host President said the president had sat on “There are elements which It boasts a living room, “For VIPs, you usually Hu Jintao’s administration a $10,000 sofa made from seem timeless despite the studio, dining hall, dressing don’t need to make many during his visit to Singapore African mohair, practiced change of trends and fash- room, bedroom, restroom changes for them,” said the for the Asia-Pacific Economic US President Barack Obama’s suite in the St. Regis Hotel. his basketball skills in the ion,” said the veteran hotel- with a massage tub and a hotel’s food and beverage Cooperation meeting. Cui Xiaohuo