Nels Frye is a freelance writer, photographer, consultant and stylist, based in Beijing. Focuses are on street style, other consumer trends, and broader social issues.
Vega Zaishi Wang is a designer now based in Beijing’s Jianwai SOHO. Born in Liaoning, she studied in London for several years and operated a studio in Xiamen. Learn more about her and view her collections at her website. Her brand is called Sforzando.
What an elegant way to transport objects! I wonder which social class these guys are from. Of course there are many other – not necessarily difficult to attain – ways of projecting refinement: a vintage vehicle, an Oldsmobile, and the car seat car covers. I have been trying to find cotton fabric to make a dress shirt in this classic print.
As mentioned, Li Xiaoyan won the gold prize for the best spring/summer collection at China Fashion Week 2009. She gave me the scarf after the photo, which was taken in her studio. Born in Taipei, Miss Li arrived on the Mainland in 1994. She has designed for a whole range of labels before her current one, Fangfang, and the focus is on 100% cotton and natural colors.
Sorry for the lag time that sometimes occurs between the photos being taken and their appearing here. Photos taken for my column in Modern Weekly must first appear in print.
Here is a fellow from Super VC, again enjoying champagne. Click here for their blog, where you can sample some of their music.
This event was to celebrate the visit to Beijing of Humberto Campana of the Campana brothers. He is here to promote his recent cooperative venture with Lacoste (more pictures of the shirts here). Much more about this soon.
I had been meaning to put this one up for a while. Li Mengxia (æŽåŸå¤) is one of the most well-known and admired figures on the Beijing magazine publishing scene. He has worked in numerous capacities as a creative director, art director, and editor. I don’t have time for fact checking right now, so I won’t mention each of his various positions. He has been associated with Modern Media (çŽ°ä»£ä¼ æ’) for quite a few years. One of his position was heading up the City Life section of Modern Weekly (《周末画报》城市版), to which I contribute a weekly column based on this blog.
Quite an interesting detail on his wool tie, which was purchased at Lane Crawford. The peacock feather type ornament on his lapel was what all VIPs received at the event that night.
The Chinese Madame Figaro – the most cerebral of China’s mainstream fashion magazines – is hosting a “magic pattern exhibition” at the World Trade Center this week that I recommend to all Stylites readers now in Beijing. Since March, issues of Madame Figaro have included original patterns by such well-known designers as Martin Margiela and Karl Lagerfeld. Readers were invited to use these patterns as the basis for their own designs. The most interesting of these new creations were actually brought to life in Beijing workshops. This one here, my favorite, was conceived by Milk@Coffee singer Kiki and is based on a pattern by French designer Marcel Marongiu. The patterned section is a vintage scarf.
This fashion design student is pairing green and red, which was formerly considered an unacceptable combination in China. She says that she doesn’t care about those old rules. Actually, I think it might even be bad for men to wear green at all.
Marie-Alice Legarda has been working as a stylist in Beijing for three years, but she doesn’t feel that there is a huge amount of style here though people are clearly into fashion. Perhaps she has spent too much time in the City of Light, and every other place seems dim in comparison. As a shopping expert, she recommends that people who travel abroad do their shopping there. I would agree, with the exception of tailoring, since there is such a huge mark-up on quality products here. When it comes to restaurants and bars, Beijing is more blessed, in her opinion. Among her favorites are Maison Boulud, Hatsune, Flames at the Hilton Wangfujing. She also recommends Tea Time at the Ritz Carlton Central Place.
Never before have I taken a photo on Liuyin Street (柳è«è¡—), right around the corner from my home. This, perhaps Beijing’s most attractive street in what was formerly the most noble section of the city, is usually filled with homely tourists, rickshaw drivers, and urban peasants. Fortunately these elements clear out after nightfall and during snowstorms. In times like these, there is no more romantic place for a stroll. It will be painful not to be able to live near it after the area becomes completely gentrified – sure to happen in less than a decade. I am, as of yet, not part of the gentry.
Here is Keeven, a fashion designer from Shanghai. His work has shown at fashion week there. He is with the group Fashion Design Organization. Sorry, still putting up pictures from China Fashion Week. After spending so much time seeing shows, my work has become rather backed up and I haven’t had a chance to go out shooting.
Armor for a modern urban knight? He designed it himself as he did all of his other garments.
Catch this show (more at the Telegraph) in the Meridian Gate (åˆé—¨ï¼‰as soon as possible. It ends with November. The Chinese-influenced pieces, mainly from the 1920s, are beautiful and surprising. The rigor with which Cartier artisans studied and imitated the motifs and techniques of traditional Chinese jewelry is impressive. The object above joins a Chinese-style tortoise with Western horological genius.
This was one of my other favorite things. It is a tiny picture frame in the shape of a camera. It is about four inches tall.
Here I am, unedited, and sounding like an intellectual who doesn’t know very much. I was caught on my way out of a show and did not have any time to prepare. There wasn’t really even that much cat.
Also, at stylelist.com, here are pictures of the 20 strangest looks from China fashion week, without any mention of the designers. I know the names of some of them though there are sadly quite a few that I did not catch.