New Wave Chinese Designers on World Stage and "Fashion China" Book launch

Fashion design talent of China are projecting their creativity on the world stage and a new book is published this month to coincide with an international fashion trade fair in Shanghai - the capital of forward fashion of China.

After a successful bout in London exhibiting as part of Fashion Scout at the Freemasons' Hall, a group of new wave Chinese fashion designers have decamped to Paris for two weeks in March, meeting buyers and press at different showcases, including at the Tranoi de la Bourse, Tranoi Carrousel du Louvre, Fashion Scout Paris and the Museum of Friendship at Touba L'annexe.

To kick start, the designers will be staging a "China New Wave" Showroom presentation from 3 - 5 March at the White Project Gallery at 24 rue St Claude in Paris.  They are Da Zhang, Xiao Li, Haizhen Wang, Angel Chen, Yirantian Guo, Tianmo Wang and Renli Su.

Design by Angel Chen featured as one of the ONES TO WATCH at Fashion Scout in February 2015.
Photo by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Coinciding with the showcase will be the launch of a new book called Fashion China authored by Gemma A Williams, on 4 March, also at the White Project Gallery.

Published by Thames & Hudson, Fashion China is reportedly the first highly-illustrated introduction to the contemporary Chinese fashion scene.

A showcase for a hotbed of design talent, featuring 41 brands and designers selected by the author together with a panel of industry insiders and experts.  Fashion China features over 350 illustrations that demonstrate why and how Chinese fashion is unique and cutting-edge - from opulent couture to avant-garde minimalism, and from bold patterning to street chic.

The book is also out in time to coincide with Chic 2015 International China fashion fair due to take place in Shanghai this month.

In her foreword, Chinese media powerhouse Hung Huang (television host, author, actress, the publisher of fashion magazine iLook and one of the most widely-read bloggers in China) champions the ambitions of Chinese fashion.  Author Gemma Williams features each designer's background in an interview format, revealing their training, inspirations, aspirations, outlook to design and life, as well as how they view their work in the context of the global fashion industry.

Long of great importance to the international luxury market, and renowned as a manufacturing base for western clothing brands,   Fashion China reflects China’s place on the world stage today and, in particular, it’s growing cultural and artistic confidence, and the coming of age of their design tour de force.

Many of the designers featured in the book trained at world-renowned fashion colleges (including Huishan Zhang, Uma Wang and Qiu Hao, who all trained at Central St Martins in London) and are at the vanguard of an increasingly globalised contemporary fashion industry, whilst also opening up Chinese culture to new audiences.

As supermodel Liu Wen puts it in the book, ‘fashion has always been about sharing art and culture and this book will be a great reflection of what China has to offer.’ Original, authoritative and ahead of the curve, Fashion China is an essential new must-read for design students, buyers, retailers and fashionistas everywhere.

Author

Gemma A. Williams is an Irish-born fashion curator and writer currently living in London. Her practice creates and promotes fashion narratives, with a particular emphasis on emerging fashion designers and markets. She has worked for Alexander McQueen, Modemuseum in Antwerp, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, London College of Fashion and the British Council.