Blog, Consultancy, Shop
Rico and Erica have both read at least a couple works of Kafka, in translation, but Rico says she prefers Milan Kundera. These two Czechs came up because Rico said she studies finance but wishes she could focus on literature. The Kafka should still come in handy once she enters a cubicle. Please note that I have a gnawing feeling that there is a debate somewhere on whether Kafka can be considered Czech. Or maybe this isn’t even debated; he was a Jew from Prague who wrote in German.
Before the hot weather started up a week ago, long cardigans were everywhere. Look also at the post below. I associate long cardigans like this with Japan and Hong Kong. It is probably no surprise that Uniqlo carries its own version.
A PR executive from Hong Kong, Patrick remains fan of Beijing after living here for eight years. He says the odd thing about Beijing, in comparison to other Asian cities, is that it does not bother trying to fashionable. Young people in Beijing have their own style throwing things together in ways that can be either disastrous or interesting but are always oblivious to the trends. I also like the color of his suede shoes and the details on his shirt, from Yohji Yamamoto.
Patrick doesn’t seem like the type of guy that hangs long underwear out to dry on the side of a public street in a bar and coffee shop district. Around Nanluoguixang, those types still abound – thankfully. It adds the charm and flavor, we foreigners seek. In fact, the same people that hang their underwear out to dry publicly, also walk around the street in just their underwear. That’s also charming, though I think more of an effort should be made to add personality to these inner garments if they are going to be used as outerwear. Some options might be tie-dye, little embroideries, or perhaps even some of the features of normal clothing drawn on. For pants, they could draw pockets, cuffs, and a zipper in a whole range of colors.
At an American PR firm, Wang Xiaodong rocks the long cardigan and works mainly on Vidal Sassoon. Song Ying, in media, just got back from studying in Korea and she says that the air is worse in Beijing now but the people are much more fashionable. Does that mean that overall things are improving aesthetically? In any case, Beijing girls still don’t care as much about appearances as Korean ones, who literally all have had plastic surgery.
Norwegian Mariann Thomassen really likes Beijing and its music scene even though her electro-pop band Surferosa had its big breakthrough with the album Shanghai My Heart. She is known throughout Oslo as a fashion icon and frequently appears in street pictures series like this. Her band is on its first tour through China.
Based out of Chengdu, Xu Weijia has started a brand of high-end menswear called Rich Gainer, which will compete for the same stylish guys as Gucci and Dior. Prices will range from RMB 1,000-2,000. As a brand builder, he never buys fakes, and that is the real Dior Homme tie with the spider and the a real baseball type jacket from Gucci, both bought in Hong Kong.
This retired train conductor is no fashionista, and he confesses he has no interest in clothing. Nevertheless, I think I would wear his coat, from the uniform he used to wear on the job.
Modern Weekly focuses on culture, fashion, and art and boasts a nationwide distribution of 450,000, highly concentrated in Shanghai and Beijing with relatively few readers in Guangzhou, following the pattern of most other trendy publications. Jian Cui (and on Douban) is one of their editors and his colleague, Ms. Ding Yun, made the inspired decision to write a story on Stylites, boosting hits on the site. Here is their article (in Chinese).
He proposed standing next to the men’s room. I must confess that I have used that bathroom on several occasions. Despite the pungent smell, there are often groups of men inside smoking and chatting. I’m never tempted to join in and, so far, none of these guys has appeared on Stylites.
A native Beijing designer, Liu Lu just opened her first shop on Nanluoguxiang. After studying at an elite boarding school in Switzerland, she studied fashion design at Parsons in Manhattan. Her brand, Lu 12.28 has ready-to-wear and haute couture lines. She just adopted a very cute stray puppy that seems to be drawing in the clients. In the photo, the top and skirt are her own designs.
If you aren’t a fan of details, you may not be drawn to the designs of Le Divan, based near Xinjiekou in West-Central Beijing. Those who fear new aesthetic norms, imaginative and quirky uses of fabric, and dressing with a sense of drama might also head elsewhere. So, yes, trend-followers who hit Zara seasonally or die-hard preppies, head-to-toe in Brooks Brothers, will probably not end up wearing this coat. On the other hand, the pure lines and quality natural fabrics make most Le Divan pieces “integratable” in a more traditional wardrobe.
Confidently donning an entire ensemble from their studio is a challenge for which few beyond Aurelien Lecour and Tony Hwa, co-founder of Le Divan, have the stylistic panache or slim physique. Le Divan is fortunate that in one area, at least, they can cut costs: with Aurelien on the team, they shouldn’t be needing too many extra models. Nonetheless, I would be happy to offer myself, and be paid in kind – perhaps in the form of this coat, if they start needing the beefier, swarthier types.
When it comes to materials, however, little expense is spared. Most of the fabric is imported from Italy or Japan, but they have also managed to locate some of the best Chinese-made fabrics I have seen. None of the usual cheesy, cheapo polyesters or coarse cottons and linens can be found at Le Divan. The fabric of this coat is a gorgeously nubby 100% silk tweed from Shandong.
The lining is a silk we’re more used to, but they have clearly found sources for interesting patterns that have evaded me thus far. Their garments all feature unique silk linings. They even include the linings in the pockets and other areas. For many people having clothing made in China, the lining is the most fun part, a chance for expressiveness. Silk breathes better and feels nicer than the polyester in most tailor-made and OTR cheap suits, though most silks are not as durable as high quality bemberg rayon. In China, bemberg actually costs more than many silks, though it hardly exists in patterns or interesting colors.
Aurelien and Tony are also creating a line of shoes and bags, of which this is a prototype.
This is just a preview on Le Divan. I will cover the fabrics and designs, plans for the future, and the unique business model more thoroughly in the next couple of weeks.
The address of Le Divan is Xinjiekou Nan Dajie, Baihuashen Chu, 25 (西城区 æ–°è¡—å£å¤§è¡— 百花深处25å·) and the phone number is (+86) 10 66 16 17 59. Their website is www.ledivanstudio.com.
He’s always in fitted blazers or ‘70s cords, which is nice because it is unusual to see actual vintage clothing here in Beijing. I believe Max is on the marketing team of China Doll, one of Beijing’s chicest clubs that will be reopening next month on the fifth floor of 3.3, a rather un-chic shopping mall in Sanlitun. We’ll have to see how China Doll does sitting atop four floors of tassles, chains, lace, and fake Dior.
Both seeking work, Nikki and Snow live in Fengtai district, where, they say, there is nothing fun to do. Nikki says the best way of finding work and doing well in general is to make sure all of your thoughts and deeds are “harmonious” and do not upset anyone. In his opinion, for young people to succeed they must “become harmonized” (被和è°). He also commented that Korea has a much bigger influence on Chinese fashion and popular culture than the US and Europe, which he says offer more classic styles. Nikki runs a taobao shop that sells second-hand and vintage products from the West and Japan.
He runs a brand that I believe is called Monkey or has a monkey as its symbol. Anyway, he is a sort of godfather of the local street fashion scene.
Yokota and Kata prefer Beijing to Tokyo because of the relative absence of pressure and the good work opportunities. They are the co-founders of LOSH, a design firm serving mainly Japanese firms. The only thing that could make Beijing any better was Uniqlo and Muji, both of which just arrived in Xidan.
Muted grays skillfully blended, this Austrian architect, sitting outside of Yaxiu, perfected rakish and ready for summer, staying relaxed while subtly hinting at streetwear.
We’ve got the diagonal plaid pants, the nautical-theme shirt and the hat, but Yalu, an oil painter. New interpretations of these traditional themes are always exciting.