Tel: 86-10-63373598 Fax: 86-10-63373599 www.chinaitc.com.cn www.chinaitc.cn F9, 10, 11, Genertec Plaza, No. 90, Xisanhuan Zhonglu LIFE Fengtai District, Beijing 100055, China 24 FRIDAY MARCH 23, 2007 Full petal jacket Menswear seizes Beijing’s catwalk as designers draw inspiration from terracotta warriors, military uniforms and hunting jackets, with soft touches of cherry blossoms and Chinese motifs, reports Xiao Changyan t is men’s fashion that’s sizzling Ji relies on Chinese silk as the Swimwear Design Contest, the Qipai on and scorching the catwalks main material for men’s shirts, Zhao Innovative Design Contest and the in the ongoing China Fashion incorporates Chinese red as the main Jeanswear Casual Wear Design Week, making it one of the theme of her collections and tradition- Contest. most memorable ever. al Chinese tailoring for the detailing The theme of this year’s Hempel IOpening with the fi nalists for the while Cabbeen does an East-West contest was Beijing impressions, Hempel Award, which goes to an juxtaposition ü a mandarin-collar and drew entries from nearly 1,500 up-and-coming young designer, the velvet blazer worn with white jeans young designers from 28 countries. autumn and winter collections were and sneakers, or traditional pink The organizing committee reported unveiled in the grand banquet hall of cherry-blossom embroidery adorn- receiving 1,479 entries from 28 coun- Beijing Hotel on Saturday. ing a suit jacket. tries, and after months of appraisal, The event this year features the “The year 2007 marks a turning the fi nals came down to 32 young work of 30 established clothing de- point in Chinese menswear,” said designs from 20 countries. signers and stylists, more than 100 Wang Qing, president of the China In contrast with the nine Chinese new apparel artists, and 27 fashion Fashion Association. He cited the fi nalists, who emphasized traditional lines from 20 countries, including Chinese men’s collections that Li cultural symbols of Beijing such as France, Germany, Italy and South Lang and Cabbeen presented dur- the alleyway or hutong, the quadran- Korea, besides China. ing the Milan and New York fashion gle and Peking Opera, the 23 foreign In contrast with earlier fashion weeks respectively, as well as the fi nalists focused more on Beijing’s weeks, when women’s collections prominence of men’s attire during cosmopolitan side, with inspirations inevitably took the limelight, this this China Fashion Week. ranging from the traffi c to skyscrap- time, men’s collections are the high- ers and the emerging new Olympic light and account for nearly half the or the fi rst time, China’s fashion architecture. shows. Virtually all of China’s top de- week brings together the fi nal- Wang Jing, a costume student at signers of men’s clothing ü including Fists of four Beijing’s Central Academy of Drama, Ji Wenbo, Cabbeen, Zhao Yufeng and top design con- took the top spot with shapes, colors Chen Wen ü are represented, with tests held in and textures inspired by the unique a batch of newcomers also marking China ü in stone drum fi xtures of the hutong, a mark. addition to which she said mirrored female The audience of 700 or so fashion the Hempel body curves. Wang also won another industry and media representatives award, this award, for best craftsmanship. seemed especially enthused as year’s fash- The Hosa Cup for swimwear went Ji Wenbo introduced his Li Lang ion extrava- to Qian Min, a Tsinghua University clothing line on Monday. Taking ganza also student majoring in design. Her inspiration from the famed buried displays designs, with delicate shades of blue terracotta army of the Qin Dynasty the work and white and fl owing lines inspired (221-206 BC) that draws tourists of fi nal- by the waves and tides of the sea, were from around the world to the city of ists of the jury’s unanimous choice. Xi’an, Ji’s offerings represent a kind the of metropolitan warrior; his leather Hosa he China Fashion Week has long jackets, hued in gray and black with been criticized as lacking draw- fl ashes of red, turquoise and peacock Ting power for international buy- blue, hint of ancient armor. ers, but local clothing manufacturers Cabbeen, meanwhile, showed off are everywhere and this year many Changshu, in Jiangsu Province, faded jeans worn with rock ’n roll T- joined forces to present local brands is strengthening its reputation for shirts and pinstriped blazers, a look collectively. menswear and winter coats. The favored by boy bands and entrepre- Elaborate press conferences city has more than 4,000 clothing neurs after-hours. by manufacturers from Shishi, producers putting out more than “The Chinese are often viewed as Changshu, and Foshan, the three 600 million garments annually, somewhat stiff and conservative,” important clothing production cent- said Liu Weijun, president of the said Cabbeen, “so I’m always ers in China, made for the sort of Hong Shan Shu line. trying for a relaxed look.” comprehensive promotion not The Foshan clothing zone in Top and right: A model presents a creation by Chinese Zhao Yufeng, one of the seen in the past. Guangdong Province held a chil- designer Ji Wenbo during the China Fashion Week in few female designers in Shishi in Fujian Province, dren’s clothing show. “Kids’ clothes Beijing. Chinese menswear designers try to establish China focusing on mens- which boasts one of the larg- have long been ignored by domestic a distinct identity using Chinese elements. File photos wear, explores another est garment trade marts in clothing manufactures,” said Lin Middle: The Hempel Award drew entries from 1,500 sort of casualness ü in Asia, is home to more than Bangyan, a district government designers from 28 countries, with the theme “Beijing business attire. Inspired 3,000 textile and clothing en- official. “It is time and it is our Impressions”. A model presents a creation by one of by military uniforms and terprises as well as thousands responsibility to show the world the participating designers Nina Skarra. Lu Zhongqiu hunting jackets, Zhao’s of related companies. The value Chinese children’s fashion.” collection also refl ects the of the city’s production now “The era of product management recent Milan Fashion Week exceeds 30 billion yuan ($3.88 in the clothing industry is now pass- in such aspects as double- billion) a year. ing and will be gradually replaced breasted suits, big pock- Shishi’s mayor, Gao Yuncheng, by brand and design management,” ets, open collars and said his city’s emphasis during said Du Yuzhou, president of the leather banding. fashion week was on leisure cloth- China Textile Association. “And their What the diverse col- ing. Manufacturers there have participation in fashion week makes lections have in com- registered about 3,000 trademarks a bold statement about Chinese fash- mon is the endeavor for casual wear, including popular ion,” he added. “It is no longer just to establish a distinct domestic brands such as Septwolves, ‘Made in China’ ü the world’s most identity using Chinese Fuguiniao, Gemzboh, Yepao, Seven, fashionable clothes are designed in elements. K-Boxing and Edenbo. China, too.” Modern designers seduce trendy women into sari fold NEW DELHI: Western clothes will also be trying to update tradi- have got bigger,” said Priyadarshini were set to hold sway when India tional fashions. Narendra, Associate Director with kicked off its annual fashion week Designers Puneet Nanda and retail consultants Technopak on Wednesday, but a few designers Chiara Nath of the Satya Paul label Advisors. will be attempting to bring modern have gone a step further than Gupta: Narendra cited the fi ndings of a Indian women back into the fold of their sari collection, inspired by consumer survey carried out last the sari. the cricket World Cup underway in year, which found that women de- “The sari is such a versatile the Caribbean, has prints of fl ags of voted nearly half of their expenses garment,” said Gaurav Gupta, one participating countries. on clothes to Indian ethnic wear of 87 designers who will unveil the “It is meant for a very bold ü saris and salwar-kameezes, trends for autumn-winter 2007 at clientele. We have tried to maintain traditional pants and tunic. the six-day clothing extravaganza. a balance between saleability and “There is so much you can do “At times people don’t wear it design element,” said Nath, whose with a sari ü the embroideries, the because there has not been enough label has designed saris for popular weaves, the prints. The sari lends innovation in it,” said the designer, cricket television show hostess itself to everything so beautifully. who will be putting his “semi- Mandira Bedi. It covers you and yet makes you constructed” sari on the catwalk as Various estimates of India’s young look sexy,” said top fashion consult- a new twist to the Indian fashion fashion business put its size between ant Harmeet Bajaj. staple. US$50 and 250 million ü a small Conscious of the limited appeal Gupta has used ruching and fraction of the country’s US$12 of the sari with the trendy set, gathering techniques on the gar- billion domestic textile industry. designers said they were trying to ment to make it easier to drape. The A study released last month by keep up with the sensibilities of the sari end, which usually rests on the industry body ASSOCHAM esti- stylish woman. shoulder, has been constructed like mated that the fashion sector could “When I was getting married in a sleeve to make it easier to handle.