Golden Delicious: Candy Lin

California-bred Candy Lin, designer of Candy and Caviar, dishes on the inspirations behind her newest line, and her ambitions for reaching the world through fashion design — starting with bases in L.A. and Beijing. Stylites contributors Marilyn Mai Ong (English) and Renee Liu (Chinese) wrote this profile of Candy.

加州长大的Candy Lin不加客套的与我们聊起她新一季设计的灵感,这个女孩有关用时装征服世界的梦想,开始于洛杉矶和北京这两个城市。

EQ:IQ – A Touch of Dali – Paris, and Probably Beijing

The backdrop for Hong Kong brand EQ:IQ‘s F/W 2010 RTW Show held at the possibly notorious Yan Club in 798 couldn’t help but remind me of the Mae West Lips Sofa by Salvador Dali. The lip motif also appeared in the “Bisous” lip patterned tote and evening bag and in the cardinal red of the lipstick on the models.

Yet the real inspiration for the collection was the home of Creative Director Stephanie Stindel, the City of Light. While hardly a novel place from which to draw inspiration for a fashion collection, one can never really tire of fantasizing about strolls through the Jardin du Luxembourg (or shopping sprees around Place Vendôme). Girls from grayer, murkier towns ought still to mimic Les Femmes de Paris (that was the name of collection) and this appealing array of garments might be one point to start in this pursuit.

The Furious

Having a drink, vintagy photographer Zhang Zheming is founder of his own studio, called Furious, which is engaged in design of print advertisements as well as shoots for fashion magazines. He previously worked for J. Walter Thompson, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising and other 4A advertising agencies. I chatted with him about fashion in Beijing.

摄影师张哲明曾就职于智威汤逊、奥美等北京4A广告公司,任美术指导,2007年在中央美院摄影系进修,随后创立Furious摄影工作室,长期从事平面广告及时尚杂志的拍摄工作。

我在《时尚旅游》的专栏出来了!

The August issue of National Geographic Traveler has hit news stands throughout China. It contains my first column on China-based stylish travelers. This four page pictorial and interview will feature monthly in the magazine for at least the next few issues. Profiled will be one male and one female traveler in travel garb and photos of the items most essential to them on that long trip. First up are TV host Cao Difei and designer Currie Lee.

This feature of mine seeks to inspire travelers to appear more elegant while moving toward their destinations. I am echoing the common complaint that travel has became too “commercial” and unglamorous.

《时尚旅游》8月刊有我的一个“时尚旅客”栏目. 我在每期都会采访一个女和的一个男的。穿的风格是能体现时尚性格以及符合自己实际旅行需求。第一期男性是曹涤非,北京电视台主持人。女性是Currie Lee,时尚产品设计师 在三里屯开设门店。

Ferarri Shoot for《中国汽车画报》

China Auto Pictorial had me find a few stylish people around Nanluoguxiang and take pictures of them with this Ferarri Enzo. Check out their August issue!

Unsurprisingly, I not only do not own a car, but also actively oppose the auto culture which so perverted the landscape of the United States and is now making life in Beijing more and more unbearable. My thoughts are similar to the editor who assisted me on this. Of course the issue is more complicated than just saying “I oppose cars”. I also thought it would be proper to acknowledge here China’s status as the world’s newest and potentially greatest Automobile Kingdom.

This hipster above is one who did not actually appear in the magazine. Below are the ones who did.

A Native Beijinger Designing Menswear

Born in Beijing’s Xicheng district, Zhang Chi is not afraid to be noticed. He went to Europe in his teens to study fashion design and is now back in Beijing with a studio in Jianwai and a menswear brand. I recently chatted with him.

服装设计师张驰在西城区出生,工作室在建外SOHO。他很小去了欧洲为了学服装设计,现在回到了北京开自己男装品牌。

热死了

It is just too unbearably hot to continue the work of photographing the stylish of Beijing’s streets. I don’t imagine that anyone who can afford a shirt goes out in this weather anyway. Most of the people I see on the streets are, understandably, shirtless.

这几天太热了,我没心情去外面拍照。觉得时间都停了,脑子也停了。搞得我只想在坐在院子里不动身体。

L-M-C

From Hong Kong, Cindy Ma now lives in Beijing with her family. Cindy and her two partners (also fashion designers) just opened a boutique, L-M-C, in the Lido area. The store carries selections of clothing, jewelry, and accessories for women from Asian, Canadian, Belgian, and British designers. Stylites’ Liang Cheng recently interviewed Cindy.

Cindy Ma 是来自香港,但现在住在北京与她的家人。Cindy和她的两个合伙人(也设计师)最近开了一家精品店叫“L-M-C”在丽都。这家店的选择有许多风格的服装,和进口首饰。与亚洲元素和融合的设计.

Managing not to Conform

Think “Hotel General Manager” and the image of Joe Ho probably won’t come to mind. In Beijing, most general managers of international brand five star hotels are plump European men invariably wearing a boring black suit and sometimes even square toed loafers. The more stylish ones might don an Hermès tie, gifted by the wife. Most surprisingly, Joe is the GM of the Grand Millennium Fortune Plaza Apartments rather than the chicest boutique hotel in town.

Joe Ho,日文名须古家航,中文名何家航,现任北京财富中心千禧公寓总经理,中日混血,早年在美国成长,从事酒店业工作30多年,非常喜好时尚,有设计师般敏锐的流行感知。

China – A Chance for European Designers?

Finally, I have a spare moment to mention my experience on the “China – A Chance for Young European Designers” panel in Berlin.

A growing number of foreign fashion designers are landing in China. History’s greatest economic miracle now might provide both markets for foreign brands and employment for foreign talent. This latest generation of foreigners focused on China is young, based here rather than overseas, and sees its future with Chinese companies as this market continues to expand.

我终于有空来写在柏林参加的以“中国–年轻欧洲设计师的舞台”为主题的研讨会了。

越来越多的外国设计师开始在中国落脚了。中国,这样一个历史上经济的奇迹,向外国品牌提供市场也为外国设计师们的天赋提供舞台。最新的一批年轻的外国设计师选择在中国拓宽市场,展望他们的未来。

At Martell Artist of The Year Party

Martell has been presenting an Artist of The Year Award for several years. Like 2009, the 2010 party was held at the Today Art Museum. Find out more information about the artists at this Chinese language site.

马爹利非凡艺术人物获奖作品巡展已经举办了很多年了。和09年一样,今年的展在今日美术馆举办,更多信息,请看这里。

Gia at Artinfo

Stylites veteran Gia is singled out as a key fashion influence by artinfo. She does do a good job representing the style of iconoclastic ladies in her generation and younger ones. Look here for Stylites’ interview with her.