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From Sports to Sartorial

I dislike calling Zara “sartorial” but its new popularity does represent a sea change in the fashion consumption habits of Chinese. Five years ago foreign brands fell into two groups: luxury and athletic oriented. Nike, Adidas, and Reebok were on middle market shopping promenades in cities from Beijing to Chengdu. The above picture of the new Zara next to on major shopping street Wangfujing may not seem meaningful, but it represents the rapid expansion of fast-fashion that has been achieved in the last year.

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On Crossover

Yesterday, I appeared with designer Candy Lin of Candy and Caviar on CCTV9’s “Crossover” with Eyee Hsu. There to offer my insights on Candy’s designs and the fashion world, I was exhausted since it was filmed on the morning after the Lacoste party. Perhaps finding that I wasn’t a particularly brilliant commentator, they decided midway to use me as a model. So watch to the end.

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A Sharing Somebody

One of our favorite Shanghai-based dandies, Yann Debelle de Montby is now contributing to the How to Spend It “diary of a somebody” blog. Yann, who excels in articulately sharing his approach to life and luxury, discusses the excitement, pleasures, and occasional frustrations of living in the Paris of the Orient. It’s interesting and instructive to see how a man this elegant handles life in China. I must say that even in the glam parties of fashionable Shanghai, Yann stands out like a well-patinated brogue for his taste and style.

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Paul French on Retail in China

Here, Paul French of Access Asia explains to Forbes that 20% growth of retail in China is not an exaggeration due to skyrocketing incomes in second and third tier cities. Fast Fashion brands Zara, Mango, H&M, and others are having their moment while The Gap missed the boat.

这个有意思的采访的中文在这里。

by stylites -

Men at Dolce & Gabbana, Shanghai


Photos: Phoebe Wu

This past week, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were in Shanghai for the last party in a world tour to promote a new series of tee-shirts that celebrate 25 years of Naomi Campbell in the modelling business. Always one of the more internet-conscious fashion brands, Dolce and Gabbana invited stylites to photograph the invent. Unfortunately, I had obligations in Beijing, so I wasn’t able to make it down. Stylites contributors Tomasz Sajewicz and Pheobe Wu attended the event on my behalf.

Swide has more photos from the event and here is more on the special edition teeshirts.

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BLV and ALV

There were all kinds of types at the Armani store opening. I would prefer this shirt in a brown and beige print like the classic monogram bags.

One tends to think of China’s development in terms of pre and post Reform and Opening. I think it is also instructive to think in terms of Before Louis Vuitton (BLV) and After Louis Vuitton (ALV).

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ffiXXed at Triple-Major

The official opening of Triple-Major is tomorrow night (October 29) from 8 to 10pm. As part of the opening event, the Australian collaborative art and design project ffiXXed will have their first solo exhibition “everything, everywhere, all the time” which includes a series of new works examining the cultural, social and economic dimensions of contemporary consumer lifestyles. The exhibition will go till November 12th.

‘Triple-Major位于北京代理世界各地前卫和非主流设计师的概念店将在10月29日晚上8点到10点开幕。作为开幕活动之一，澳洲艺术和设计组 合ffiXXed将在Triple-Major概念店举行首次展览。组合将展出一系列从文化，社会和经济角度探讨现代中国及全世界消费和生活形态的新作 品。

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Editor and Stylist


Photos: Xiao Yang

And what a cute pair they are! Ingrid is an editor at a major fashion magazine and Paul is a stylist at Beijing’s premier multi-brand fashion boutique. I was happy to see quite a few “fashion types” at La Ville en Rouge, our party celebrating the launch of Tally Beck Contemporary’s gallery in NYC.