Designer'S Spring -- Focus On China'S New Design Power

The whole world is concerned about China. Is China's cutting-edge designer popular?

Is Shanghai like Japan in 1970s or more business like America?

Do you want to win fame or do you want to make big money?

This is always a problem.

A short section of Changle Road between the roads can reflect the whole picture of Shanghai's clothing retailing except for the big department stores, where shops selling more than three times the usual price are sold everywhere, selling rough leather shoes, bags and clothes everywhere, and between them there are many designer shops or shops that appear to be designer shops. Because of the unanimous style of decoration, these shops are highly recognizable: often a loft style empty space with four walls, and a white wooden door to the street, a large glass window, and a window display. Sandwiched in Ruijin and Chongqing South

Everything is spreading at an amazing speed.

According to Gao Xin, owner of Even Penniless on Changle Road, the prosperity of designer shops is only a year since 2007.

Gao Xin's opening time is not long. In 2006, he opened his site in Changle Road. So far, it has been very profitable and has expanded the studio recently. It has expanded the size of the original one or two plus sample workers to more than ten individuals.

Lorraine Justice, Dean of the school of design, Hong Kong Polytech University, has long been concerned about China's new design power.

Her monograph, China by Design, has just been completed.

"They are not as dramatic as Italy designers, nor are they as structural as Japanese designers.

China's new strength is unique.

Their work is a combination of pragmatism, empiricism and visual impact.

That's why I think Chinese fashion is becoming another benchmark in the fashion industry.

There's a lot of energy saved here. "

This is Justice's evaluation of China's cutting-edge fashion designers.

She also believes that Shanghai is far away from Beijing, so the designers in Shanghai are free to play with their own set. At the same time, Hongkong is also far away from it, so that it will not be affected too much, thus fully preserving the local culture.

"For young designers, Shanghai is perfect."

Justice said, "it has history and contemporary culture.

It is close to the garment processing area in the Yangtze River Delta. "

From a shop to a whole road

The first real designer shop on Changle road is actually One byOne, number 290.

It was founded in September 2003 by a pair of designer partners, Qiu Hao and sedate.

For a long time after that, it was the only designer shop on the road.

In the past two years, One by One has eaten one of the other two facades on this section of the road and placed them all on their own, which has greatly increased the scale of the shops.

And Qiu Hao also opened a new showroom on a nearby Jinxian road to show his own series.

"Now is chaos."

Qiu Hao said after sitting in his showroom.

Qiu Hao graduated from the interior design specialty of Soochow University in 2001.

But from the very beginning, he had no intention of interior design.

When he was in junior high school, he applied to Yifei fashion and interviewed only once. He was informed of his work next Monday.

"Since it's so easy, it's better to do it yourself."

This is what he thought at that time.

Through his friends' introduction, he met the same graduate who graduated from Soochow University and became a partner. He created a personal brand named Lab/One by One.

In 2004, he went to London Saint Martin Institute for further education, during which he was trained under Alexer McQueen.

Two years later, when he returned to Shanghai, he immediately began to create his own brand and shop.

His work was inspired by the broken appearance of the alleys in Shanghai, and was soon applauded by his unique and complex interpretation of deconstruction.

During the interview, he just returned from Singapore's fashion week, and his 08 spring summer series was praised by the major media.

If Qiu Hao, as a brilliant new designer, is entering the vision of the international media, as a partner of cooperation for 8 years, Qiu Hao's business backing is just like that.

Their shop was first opened in Suzhou, and later moved to Shanghai. During the two years when Qiu Hao went to Saint Martin for further education, she always runs One by One in Shanghai, and the cost of studying for Qiu Hao is mainly derived from the proceeds after they sell the shops in Suzhou.

"From 2003 to the present, a total of 4 shops have been opened.

Our profitability is very good. "

She said.

Compared with Qiu Hao's design, the clothes made by the fashion are not so high for the wearer's figure, and are more suitable for everyday wear.

In her own words, it is "more commercialized".

"This piece of Qiu Hao is still making a brand image and wants to insist on some self."

She said, "I am the brand of Neither Nor, I want to do more commercialization, and earn the money to be the backing of Qiu Hao.

I think this is sensible. "

In the One by One store, there are still a considerable portion of other designer's brand consignment.

The plan is to create a comprehensive store of the three largest shops in the year, mainly selling their own designer brands, while the other two run their own brands.

When they first started in Suzhou, they rented counters in shopping malls of the two tier cities. They were so large that they had little room for decorating and display.

By virtue of this lesson, it is thought that consignment is the best selling method for a young designer.

For herself, relying solely on the strength of a small team to run the brand is a very hard thing, and consignment can also alleviate this aspect.