Global businesses seem to have a soft spot for China in 2009. Against the major background of financial crisis, China attracts eyes of the world and finds favor in eyes of fashion circles. International brands add Chinese elements into their design one after another.
In recently years, tradition
Chinese elements like cotton weaving, embroider, DM splash ink, cloud-dragon totem and blue and white porceclain frequently appear in top apparel brands including Valentino, Dior, Kenzo and Prada. Chinese elements become hotter and hotter in global fashion circle.
When China is so close to fashion, people begin to think about the nature of fashion. Why fashion is fond of China now?
Every fashion hit man will declare that he is always at the forefront of fashion. Self-awareness of designers launches attaches on people’s life in form of brand. In this sense, fashion is the battle for influence between brands. And then there were the myth of Versace and the legend of
Chanel.
However, when financial crisis removes the coat of vanity, fashion that always does not care about costs shows its deep-rooted nature.
Fashion is the fight for influence between nations. Thinking back the past 100 years, the USA once took the fashion leading rule from the most fashionable cities in Europe. But a sudden America financial crisis triggered a fashion renaissance in Europe. Later the Europe financial crisis made the fashionable vane turn to New York…
In fact, Ancient China was used to be World No.1 fashion power. The said Wei-Jin Manners, in their nature, were a kind of leisure and fashion wind that had no equal at that time. The popular white silk head dress, leather cloak and clogs were not formal dress but won hearts of the emperor and scholar-bureaucrats. This dress expressed a free and comfortable state and unrestrained manner.
Xie Gong clogs and large silk head dress formed the earliest and the most influential leisure dress in fashion circles. The Painting Emperor Ming Plays Chi-Chu Game and the Scroll of Figures of Ladies by Ⅳoblemen. The Chi-Chu and Chui-Wan depicted in the scrolls were the rudiments of modern golf and football respectively.
The track of fashion always kept an intimate relationship with the historical context of international relations in the past millennium. So we can predict the future fashion development from the by tracing history evolution.
And that is why a rising country must have its own apparel brands. At present, there are two themes in Chinese fashion circle: one is in time; the other is western style.
Three decade ago, Pierre Cardin walked cross Beijing streets in woolen coat and wearing
Rolex Watches and Chinese people regarded him as a man in strange clothes. Therefore, Fashion circles laughed at Chinese people as they were so out time. Now,
Chinese fashion is at in time phase. And when Chinese elements combine with fashion and western style, Chinese fashion will step into front time phase like Chinese economy.
With the strengthening of Chinese politics and economy, Chinese elements become one of the international popular elements. The Beijing Olympic Game, in particular, promotes Chinese elements to all corners of the world.
But we have to admit that western-style suit is basically the mainstream of men's clothing. This strong fashion power has made western suit an index that evaluates every country. In another word the popularity rate is an important standard to judge a country’s modernization level.
America once proudly said that two countries that had McDonald's never fight, neither two countries that worn western suits.This is fashion language code in international relations.
