Designed in China
Chinese designers look to change Chinese fashion industry
Dressed in a white and red floral gown designed by Chinese fashion designer Christopher Bu, Spanish actress Paz Vega earlier this month was selected as wearing one of “The Most Gorgeous Looks” for the 2018 Oscar red carpet by some Western media outlets.
This marked the first time a Chinese style dress from a Chinese designer appeared on the Oscar red carpet.
The attention catching gown, named Snow Plum Blossom, is from Bu’s first haute couture line “The Forbidden City.” Some of this line’s earlier dresses have been worn by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing at Cannes and at the 2015 Met Ball Gala, the latter of which was also chosen as one of the best looks of the night by local media.
Bu might not be the only outstanding designer from China, yet his regular contact with Hollywood elite has certainly helped add to his popularity within celebrity circles. Kate Perry, who visited Bu’s studio in 2014 and later ordered a coat for her 2017 single Chained to The Rhythm, is just one example.
“I have another ready-to-wear label called Chris by Christopher Bu about which I am often contacted by companies, agencies and producers in Hollywood,” Bu told the Global Times. “Before the Oscars were about to be held, it was Paz Vega’s team who contacted us asking if we had any dresses for a very important occasion. We had been communicating with each other mainly through email.”
Compared to many fashion designers who have academic backgrounds, Bu might be considered an “outsider” as he studied photography at the Beijing Film Academy.
“When I was selecting dresses and gowns for certain red carpet ceremonies, I sometimes would feel I could not find the best one, and would picture a general layout of an ideal dress in my mind,” Bu said, adding that while he thought about making his own designs for a long time, it was Fan Bingbing that finally encouraged him to make his dreams a reality.
Another thing that may set Bu apart is that he has different ideas regarding fashion labels and their connections to customers.
Four years after he established his namesake labels in 2012, Bu opened a store on online shopping platform Tmall, a platform many designers think of as storefront for cheap and low quality products.
Admitting he does have different views, Bu explained that while there are many brands and labels looking to explore younger demographics many of them have limited their attempts to just coming up with new designs.
“We are doing the same thing, but in addition to our designs, we are also exploring channels that appeal to younger consumers,” Bu told the Global Times.
“We do have stores in traditional shopping malls, but we think online stores are a shortcut to the young people, and a representative of a new life style,” said the 30-something designer.
He further added that they now also opened shops on WeChat. “I don’t think it’s good to stay in a high cold place if one wants to reach younger people.”
While “Made in China” has long been a label for the Chinese fashion industry, recent years have seen a rising number of Chinese designers establishing their own Chinese brands that have gained attention worldwide.
For example, US singer Rihanna once appeared at the 2012 Met Ball gala in a yellow gown designed by Guo Pei, while during US President Donald Trump’s visit to China late last year, he showed off a video of his granddaughter who was dressed in a traditional Chinese cheongsam based pink dress designed by Lawrence Xu.
“The label ‘Made in China’ has long held unfortunate associations with mass-produced and low-quality products and clothing. However, China’s innovative, young designers are aiming to change this perception,” Style Caster, an English language fashion website, pointed out in an article.