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CJ Yao

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This is one of the girls from CJ by C.J Yao, a women’s contemporary label from Beijing. CJ studied at Central Saint Martins in London and launched the line shortly after..

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Yarn dyed two tone stripes T-shirts are pretty much a timeless classic and seems to make a bit of a comeback this spring on the streets of Beijing. Chosing classic colours combination such as navy/ white and red/white feels refreshing compared to the colour clashes of late. Variation in stripe structure adds a designer touch (as seen at COS and Topman for 14SS). But with the classic 8 mm stripe width and contrast collar you know what you get and can highlight your look with more forward accessories to pull in the crowds!

 

 

 

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Enjoy Museum of Arts for the Electric Horse Rave

Saturday Night out in 七九八 at the Enjoy Museum of Arts for the  Electric Horse  Rave. The main item which caught my eye was the cardigan worn either plain or with  jaquard, the shape is loose and comfortable in heavy gauge knit. The look was styled as a blend of home comfort with sporty touch expressed with sweat pants or snazzy running shoes. The over long or baggy cardigan Seems to be the perfect item for these warm days and cool nights, giving a comfortable touch as if one was still emerging from a long winter and clinging on their beloved blankets. Another highlight was the biker looks with vintage albeit sporty biker jackets and skinny denims. Finally, the snow parka so prevalent this past winter with its iconic fur collar and plain down padding is being transformed into a lighter spring version, shedding its lining and fur trimming transforming itself into  a more dust coat item.

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The HUB, Edition 2

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I thought I would just recap some of the highlights of The HUB, edition two.  Orders surged as multi-brand channels gained traction in Greater China with initiatives like the Multi-label Alliance and the Greenhouse. This time, The HUB attracted a wider range and higher quality of buyers with budgets to buy as well as major distributors and other key figures in the fashion industry from China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and beyond. Visitor numbers were similar to The HUB of August 28-30, but these attendees were a more relevant and business-focused group, according to accounts of exhibitors. The exhibitors themselves remained a well-curated assembly from across North America, Europe, and Asia including contemporary fashion, heritage brands, cutting-edge designers, denim and street wear.

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The HUB – Next Week

Can Hong Kong Compete with Paris, Milan and New York?

The HUB believes so.  There will be a good number of rather fashion-forward designers showing there this year including S.Nine, Bracher Emdem, Haizhen Wang, Juma Studio, and my friend Zhang Chi, to name a few.  The trade fair is next week from Feb. 25 to 27.  Zhang Chi will also host an exclusive dinner at the Upper House; Susanna Soo’s label, S.Nine, will stage a catwalk show at The Upper House sure to feature a gaggle of Hong Kong’s “It” girls in the front row; Matthew Williamson is jetting out in early March to put on a unique retrospective of his most seminal creations at the British Consulate arranged by The HUB.  Peter and Richard, the founders of The HUB, believe they are ensuring that Hong Kong will become the center of fashion for Asia.

Fashionistas, designers, buyers, retail giants, and around 100 hot fashion labels from around the world will converge on Hong Kong between February 25 and 27 for three days of buying product, attending retail seminars, making big licensing deals, seeing fashion shows, and partying. The HUB, Asia’s leading branded trade fair, happening for the second time, ups the ante by introducing the sort of glamorous fashion events usually associated with New York, Paris and Milan. Says The Hub co-founder Peter Caplowe: “We are not getting ahead of ourselves and realise how far we have to go to match the world’s great fashion weeks but it was always our intention to make The Hub Asia’s most important fashion event and, with Novomania of Shanghai cancelled, Tokyo Fashion Week in continued decline and the less said about the HKTDC’s woeful Hong Kong Fashion Week the better, there is an opening and we are on track to deliver.”

The commitment of The HUB to exciting new designers is underscored by the unveiling of the Greenhouse, a new section that aims to help young talent grow. Famed for his extravagant shows and parties in Beijing, Zhang Chi frontlines. About joining The HUB for the first time, he says “The HUB is a chance for me to gain exposure and get to know buyers from across Asia and beyond. I see being at the Greenhouse as a step in getting the same buzz outside of China that I get inside. It’s great that young designers like myself can have this platform.”

Other young Mainland designers include V-Major, Frank Beat by Mao Xinzhi, and Unmentioned by Li Ling, but participants come from far beyond China. Print masters Juma Studio, London Fashion Week standout Haizhen Wang, local Hong Kong designer Susanna Soo showcases her new RTW collection, New Zealand Jewelry maker Violet Darkling, Swedish eyewear makers Dienastie, and Bracher Emdem – London-based creators of accessories and bags sported by the likes of Beyonce and Rihanna – are just some of the names from all across the world.

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Why the Gas Mask?

Beijing Designer Zhang Chi's Logo is the Gas Mask

Beyond using them in all of his designs, Zhang Chi sometimes wears real gas masks.  He thought it would be pushing it a bit too far – too demanding of attention – if he wore one to a party, but he does sometimes when he walks around the street.  Of course that’s the whole point.  You need a gas mask when walking around the streets of Beijing.  Zhang Chi is about as Beijing as they come, from the way he talks to his craze for automobiles.  Lamborghini has sponsored his fashion shows, Land Rover gives him a free lime green vehicle to scoot around town in, and Lexus just sponsored his trip to New York Fashion Week.  Love of cards aside, he knows very well that his hometown may be the most dystopian major capital.  From the constant and overpowering smog to the ever-widening wealth disparity, Zhang Chi acknowledges the dark side of China’s Imperial City in his work.

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Zhang Chi’s Studio

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For me, Zhang Chi is intensely interesting.  He has thrown bigger fashion shows than any I have been to.  These are massive, imperial-scale events with over a thousand people at major art galleries like UCCA and D-Park in Beijing.  His personality is extremely outgoing and he has shown an ability to attract sponsors like no other.  Martell has been supporting him for over five years and car companies like Land Rover and Lexus flock to sponsor him.  He is the most outstanding example of the way corporations and the media get behind Chinese designers long before they have actually become commercially viable.  I am not sure that he really is making money yet, but he is already a big name here in Beijing.  It’s a very massive, awesome Beijing way of doing things.
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Valentine’s Day Gifts

 

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Get your man a  pocket square for this Valentine’s Day.  We have fun min-animal prints in silk at Senli and Frye.  Even for men that don’t normally wear suit and tie, this can be that last detail that really makes an outfit come to life.

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Of course you can never go wrong with a tie.  Come by to see our selection.

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Hot Pink Cremant de Loire Rosé

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Popping open a bottle of Cremant always suggests some level of assurance with oneself. Outside of France, it’s almost exclusively for insiders, those who know one méthode from another. The point of the bubbles is pure pleasure rather than displaying the brandname of a member of some global luxury corporation. That said, a magnum of Hot Pink Cremant de Loire Rosé from Domaine de Salvert will garner admiring glances. This flowery wine rests on the base of classics Chenin and Grolleau Gris, but also relies on the Cabernet Franc grape, which is extracted after a short maceration of the skins to produce a delicate rosy shade.  I think we will be ordering a few cases for our baby shower and this is a no-brainer for Valentine’s Day.

 

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Elegant Textures

With the opening of the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, designer Tony Chi (an interview with Mr. Chi will be here soon) creates an elegant, new definition of China Modern sure to exert a lasting influence on hotel design.

“Inoffensive” barely sounds like praise. Akin to “lukewarm” and “conventional”, most designers would prefer to hear their work called “daring” or “challenging”. Some will always be offended by a groundbreaking design, while innovation that pleases all seems almost like an oxymoron and bound to be boring. To create something completely new that is in complete good taste seems near impossible.

And yet with his design for the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, star designer New York-based Tony Chi will make just about everyone feel comfortable and at peace. Surprising that far from traditionalist, his work here very fresh and sure to influence hotel design throughout China. Never overt or gratuitous, Chinese culture seeps from the walls of all 233 rooms, 30 suites, 24 luxury serviced apartments and the four restaurants. Always serving a genuine function, Chinese design elements are deployed thoughtfully and with profound meaning. Guest room lay-out is inspired by traditional courtyard residences, meaning the various chambers adjoin an inner corridor that flows to the outer door. The private is discreetly separately from the public even in the standard rooms.

Unlike many properties in China that look good for a few years but then rapidly fade, the Guangzhou Mandarin Oriental will age well. Woods, lacquers, skins, and fabrics will get better with time and corners were not seem cut during construction. Passing trends are not heeded, though the emphasis on quality materials that need not be replaced every half-decade fits well with our current interest in sustainability. Owner Swire has invested with their sights set on the long-term.

Sipping champagne in the Oriental Club, one might be forgiven for preferring the view in – of linen upholstered chairs, leather couches and beautiful art books – to the view out, which is of a somewhat grim cityscape, the likes of which could be found in the center of any Chinese metropolis. Out there one has to behold all the clutter, noise, and poor color matching that would never be allowed in a Mandarin Oriental.

Indeed, guests have little incentive to leave. Local friends can be invited for afternoon tea and dim sum at Taikoo Lounge, cigars and cocktails at The Loft, or pastries and hand-painted chocolate at the Mandarin Cake Shop. Restaurants options abound and the creative presentation and organic produce of Ebony make it one of the best Western restaurants in town. Right next door is one of the best malls in China: Taikoo place, with flagships of all the usual luxury suspects plus some unique local players like lifestyle boutique, Fangsuo.

One might wonder why the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou lacks its own lifestyle brand with a full array of products that reflect the color scheme and style ethos of the hotel. Guests frequently covet the beautifully crafted leather boxes, magnifying glasses, wooden picture frames, porcelain, and even the linen ties of the staff – all custom made for the hotel. Good taste like this is surprisingly rare in this world. Many designers strive to startle and garner media attention, but Tony has revolutionized in a more elegant, lasting way by giving us a new classic.

I was also quite impressed by the uniforms.  The colors and textures were much more interesting than the black and white found in most hotels.

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Nick Wooster (in the post below) likes when suits and ties are of the same fabric.  In this case it was a linen/wool blend.
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This fellow from the executive lounge got a nice dimple in his tie.  He was also wearing nice brogues.
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Ebony is the place for fine steaks, seafood and the best hamburger in town.
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One wouldn’t be surprised if guests hire Tony Chi to design their next home after a stay here
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Earth tones never looks as good as in the Oriental Club
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On the terrace, it’s hard to believe that this is still in the middle of a city.

The photos of people are by me.  The photos of the location come from the Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou.

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Nick Wooster, in NYC

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I had the pleasure of with the fashion industry’s leading creative dynamo and style influencer Nickelson Wooster having coffee at The Hotel Elysée in Midtown. Nick, who has worked as a buyer for Bergdorf Goodman, Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and other leading department stores, had solid advice useful for men everywhere. One perfectly tailored medium gray suit, a blue and white shirt, some ties, and British-made black and brown oxfords are enough to get most men through the year. Nick has done some fun collaborations with brands from United Arrows to Orlebar Brown. I am hoping we can find a Chinese brand with which he could partner. My wife, Jane, who was also at the meeting, had these reflections:

”配饰是点睛之笔”

“如果你有一些简单的衬衫，一套中灰色的西装，那么只需要搭配各种领带，就可以每天都有型，任何人都可以用100美金以下的消费做到有型有款”。 当下已经50多岁的Nick在三年前突然蹿红网络，他说自己原本以为超过40岁，再从事时尚行业会很难，没想到网络的发展让他在去参加展会工作的时候成为镜头的焦点。如今在国内，从大牌纸媒，网络媒体到微信朋友圈中，都流传着多套Nick在各大展会亮相的照片集锦，还有冠有比如“最会穿衣的男人”等美名Nick特辑。但见到Nick本人让人高兴的并非是见识了时尚的炫目，而是再一次印证了“拒绝即是优雅”的聪明的时尚规则。“拒绝即是优雅”，不仅是都市人在眼花缭乱的选择中节约生活成本的方式，也是对环保做举手之劳贡献的一种途径。Senli&Frye挑选了少量知名品牌领带与袜子精品，在春节期间以大幅低于市场价的优惠答谢我们的朋友们。