East Meets West, "A Focus on China" (Part 2)

*This article is a continuation of a 2 part series. To read Part 1, please click here.

photo via: China Daily 

With better wages and the convenience of being able to live together with their families, (something the working class of the Western world never really had to think about), China is heading toward a rise of a populous middle class and a hungry appetite for consumer spending. For example, Zara and H&M, two of the world's largest fast fashion retailers, have seen a huge success this year. H&M is ending this year with a total of 13 new stores, leading to a total of 27, while Zara opened 33 new stores, leading to a total of 60. As the country is becoming more fashion-conscious, these fast fashion retailers are thriving.

 In contrast, there is also a new consumer base of young, creative individuals who are looking rather inward to find designs that reflect China's culture and artistry. Young, 20s-30s year olds in China are now looking toward homegrown fashion that reflect a distinctive modern perspective: one that melds Western fashion sense with Chinese culture. We end this 2-part series highlighting a few of their rising stars:

photo via: La Vie Fall/Winter 2011

One up and coming designer in Shanghai's burgeoning fashion scene is Jenny Ji, who has taken the East-meets-West concept and created a modern Chinese lifestyle brand with her ready-to-wear line "La Vie" as well as a wedding line, aptly called, "The Wedding." 29-year old Jenny Ji started her line La Vie eight years ago after studying fashion abroad in Milan and assisting a Japanese designer in Hong Kong. With stores on Tai Kang Lu in Shanghai's French concession and the Bund as well as an international presence in Paris and Stockholm, La Vie has created a buzz domestically and internationally. Asked about her sources of inspiration, she explained, "Every time we recreate our design concepts, our inspiration comes from a piece of Chinese culture. [Our] winter fashion collection [for 2010] was based on peacock feather, which are used in many Shanghai homes for decoration."

photo via: La Vie

In addition to utilizing a distinctively Chinese perspective to her designs, Ji is also known as an ethical fashion designer, using eco-friendly fabrics for her lines. "I insisted on eco-friendly materials...It's very comfortable and you can feel the difference," Ji explains, "We want La Vie to be an environmentally friendly brand, but from the business side, we also think this is the future." In La Vie's Fall/Winter 2011 collection titled "Calender Girl," Ji utilized common colors used by the Chinese: Black, Red and White and elements of the traditional "Cheongsam" in modern, Western silhouettes, melding East and West.

While the idea of sustainability is still trying to catch on in China, one store in Shanghai that has taken sustainability to the next level is Nest on Tai Kang Lu in the French Concession district in Shanghai. Dedicated to offering a range of eco-friendly products for the individual and home, Nest comprises of Chinese as well as foreign designs, aimed at supporting "the work of skilled artisans of China and in Asia." Begun by Trine Targett, a Danish native, who sought to contemporize the crafts of traditional Chinese artisans, Nest has become a design incubator and showcase for Chinese-made sustainable design, through its "Design Talk Evenings." The manifesto of Nest is that "the sum is greater than its parts." While sustainability still has a long way to go in China, the fact that there is a store for the purpose of selling exclusively sustainable products is significant, signaling a customer base in Shanghai that is interested in eco-friendly products.

Photo Via: Judy Hua

photo via: Art Zine China

Another designer that caters to an East-meet-West perspective is Judy Hua. The designer Hua Juan uses elements of Chinese art, while maintaining a modern, funky edge. She is especially known for her wedding dresses, wedding accoutrements, and custom ready-to-wear. For her Spring/Summer 2010 collection, Hua Juan was inspired by Chinese contemporary artist Zhou Chunya's Peach Blossom paintings, which depict peach blossoms and red-shaped men embracing pink-colored women. Evidence of this could be seen in the color combinations, accessories and makeup on the runway. The color combinations were distinct: white cocktail dresses with magenta shoulder pieces, magenta dresses with black blazers as well as colorful floral print dresses. Each model was outfitted with a magenta headband and had heavy, magenta eyeshadow streaked across their eyes. Instead of looking abroad for inspiration, Judy Hua looked at Chinese contemporary art, offering a unique aesthetic to the fashion community.

photo via: Chinese Coat

photo via: Eblis Hungi

In contrast, clothing brand Eblis Hungi, located on Changle Road in Shanghai's French Concession district, infuses Western men's street wear with a slight Asian sensibility, rather than the more typical East-meets-West perspective. For example, the prints used on Eblis Hungi's hoodies are patterned and sequenced similarly to traditional Chinese prints, while using a cheetah print and their logo: a mummified bean-shape. In addition, the graphics on their t-shirts show a mummified character wearing traditional Chinese garb. Overall, the color used in their graphics and clothing as well as the color combinations definitely allude to a colorful and ornate Chinese aesthetic. For example, the color combinations on their graphic tees are similar to the color combinations used in traditional Chinese buildings such as those in the Forbidden City. In contrast to La Vie and Judy Hua, Eblis Hungi reflects a translating of Western-style for the young, Chinese consumer, rather than a mixing of East and West.

As China is becoming increasingly more important in the fashion community, we can already see a number of young, creative designers who are eager to test the waters and make their mark both locally and globally. While there are many Western brands venturing into the Eastern world, there are just as many Chinese-born designers who are excited to have their designs recognized and worn by their community. Who knows, maybe some day, these designers will have their goods stocked and sold here in the States!

MBF Exclusive: Future of Fashion Video

Earlier this month we were invited to speak at "Take 5ive" a monthly event -- hosted in NYC by WIN-Initiative -- which brings together professionals from various creative industries.

This month’s event was hosted by Take 5ive’s Hans Neleman; Chrissy Reilly emceed a packed Win Headquaters.

Manuela Fassbender, creative director was one of 10 guest speakers.

Each speaker is given 5 minutes to discuss any topic of their choosing.

This evening's selection of speakers was organized by social media marketing & business trending specialist, Karen D'Silva.

Speakers came from diverse industries -- from photography to beer brewing.

They included:
Stanislava Georgieva, photographer

Karen D'Silva of Karen D'Silva Creative Services
Jerry Tavin, Young Photographers Alliance
Andy Katz, photographer

Mario Estrada of HipstamartSonya Giacobbe, Kelso of Brooklyn

Sean Justice, NYU professor photography/technology
Savannah Spirit, photographer

See what Manuela presented here...

About Take 5ive
Take5ive brings together leaders in the creative industry in a forum of sorts. Typically, 10 speakers are split between artists and creative professionals. Past guest speakers have included creative consultant Stella Kramer and Allegra Wilde,tech people Dripbook founder Alex Wright as well as app developers and representatives from Adorama and Sony. Artists participating are split between commercial and fine art.

Fashion's Night Out

photo via: Jak & Jil

We just wanted to remind you that there are only two days left till the second annual Fashion's Night Out!

As there are literally thousands of NYC festivities scheduled for this Friday, we break it down for you and give you a short list of some of the most promising. 

Barneys New York

Barneys invites you to shop and mingle with fashion icons: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Daphne Guinness, Julie Gilhart and Simon Doonan. Meet the designers: Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, and Rodarte. Participate in fabulously demented activities: Ping-Pong, Karaoke, Drumming, Musical Chairs, and more. Greet and meet with fashion icons: Island Records' Chris Blackwell, Johnny Rozsa, and more! Amazing exclusive clothing and accessories: Special edition FNO Alexander Wang McQueen scarf and more. 

Saks Fifth Avenue

Saks will be fashion's ultimate party. Celebrity and designer appearances include Donna Karan, Viktor & Rolf, Charlotte Ronson, Zac Posen, Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas and Sergio Rossi's Creative Director, Francesco Russo as he unveils the new 'Cachet' pumps, exclusively at Saks. 

Opening Ceremony at Ace Hotel

Opening Cermony hosts a French flea market staged in the lobby of the Ace Hotel. Inspired by the famous Les Puces deSaint-Ouen market in Paris, the French flea market concept coincides with the launch of France as O.C's country of focus for 2010-11. Brands will have their own flea market booths with exclusive items and designers will be present to meet fans and enjoy the festivities. Participating brands include agnes b., Alexander Wang, Band of Outsiders, Collette, Deyrolle, Joseph Altuzarra, Keds, Laudree, Patrik Ervell, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, and more. 

Jeffrey New York

Personal appearances from 9-10pm by designers Jason Wu and Monique Pean with Joan Small. Celebrity Christina Ricci will also make an appearance. From 8-9pm, catch designer L'Wren Scott spinning her favorite tunes as our guest dj, and designer Nicholas Kirkwood sketching his favorite designs. Military-inspired custom stenciling by the designers of Current Elliott. A menswear trunk show hosted by designer Devon Scott. Exclusive limited edition black leather messenger bags available by Proenza Schouler available for $225, and exclusive limited edition buffalo horn earrings by Monique Pean available for $295.

Henri Bendel

From 6-11pm, reality stars, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, with cameras, bring the country to Fifth Ave. with a General Store. Get a 10 minute reading with astrologer Susan Miller for $25; benefits Housing Works. Launch of Atelier Swarovski collection featuring Karl Lagerfeld. 6-9pm Fekkai, Marchesa and Olivia  Palermo have a Red Carpet moment that you can share on Facebook/Twitter. 7-9pm Bendel illustrator, Izak, signs one of a kind "green" totes for $100; proceeds go to charity. 8:30-10:30pm model Erin Wasson presents her jewelry collection LOWLUV.

Housing Works Thrift Shop

Housing Works Thrift Shops kicks off the month of Fall Preview events at our Chelsea flagship! Each of our ten New York City based shops host a Fall Preview event throughout the month. We re-stock our thrift shops with the best designer fashion, unique furniture, and rare artwork finds and sell them for a fraction of the price to benefit the largest AIDS services organization in the nation.

Scoop NYC

Scoop NYC and EDUN have partnered up to treat you to an evening in honor of Africa. Meet Ali Hewson at the EDUN pop u p shop while sipping Tusker Premium Lager. Jaleel Bunton from TV on the Radio will be spinning and we'll also have a special performance by South Africa's BLK JKS. EDUN/Scoop NYC encourage you to join Ali and bike it for the night! Ride a bike to the event and EDUN will feature those with the best bike style on their blog! The first 100 EDUN shoppers will receive a free gift and the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck will be giving out free scoops to the first 200 Scoop shoppers!

Diane von Furstenberg

Diane von Furstenberg takes Fashion's Night Out to the digital universe with The DVF and HP Experience Lounge, a multimedia event that will transform the DVF boutique and gallery into an interactive fashion playground. Hosted by Refinery29.com, the evening will feature cutting-edge fashion installations, complete with a 'Fall Favorites' photo booth featuring DVF items curated by Refinery20.com editors on display for shoppers to utilize when browsing their most-desired DVF looks. Photos can be printed, posted to Facebook or streamed live into the loung on social feed monitors, allowing guests to engage with the fashion community and interact with DVF. Computer terminals and touch screens will feature up-to-the-minute news about FNO from around the city, and around the world.

rag & bone & 3.1 Phillip Lim

rag & bone is teaming up with fellow Mercer Street retailer 3.1 Phillip Lim to co-host a street party featuring delicious food and a live DJ. Inside the store, designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville will be on hand to help SoHo shoppers style their Fall looks. Special guests include Revlon's Global Artistic Director Gucci Westman who will perform mini-makeovers, and one of Revlon's Global Ambassadors.

Ralph Lauren

Join Jessica Alba and Andre Leon Talley downtown at Ralph Lauren Soho for champagne, shopping, and a stylish performance by Grammy nominated singer Janelle Monae. Monae's 360 degree concert from the oversized loft windows will have guests dancing in the street to her soulful musical musings in honor of Fashion's Night Out. 

We hope everyone here in the city takes advantage of this fabulous shopping event. If you have any recommendations, we'd love to hear from you too! 

And let's not forget, this is a global initiative with 15 other countries and dozens of cities across the US coordinating their own festivities!

Behind the Scenes: Berlin's Premium and The Key.To

Here at MBF Trend Consulting, one of our hopes is to be more transparent about the fashion industry and let you in on all the inside scoops. So with that said, last week, Manuela Fassbender, the Creative Director and Founding Partner of MBF Trend Consulting, flew to Berlin to check out the latest fashions showcasing at Premium and The Key.To. With a film crew on board, we want to share with you what's next in the industry, particularly in the eco-fashion movement. With exclusive interviews from the show organizers and presenters, this clip is something you don't want to miss! Check it out and let us know your thoughts!

Part 1


Part 2

You Are Your Own Designer

photo via: NY Times

In our earlier post, we discussed the recent trend of online shopping sites empowering online communities to take part in dictating trends and design picks. While the sites we previously mentioned discuss how designers first upload their collections and then the customers vote on their favorite, today we introduce you to Blank Label, a customization-focused concept brand that allows its customers to take part in the complete design process, from the initial stages of fabric and color to the final style, design detail, and fit. Fast, convenient, and affordable, Blank Label focuses on customized men's shirts with step-by-step online instructions, allowing customers from anywhere around the world to purchase a co-created product.

photo via: Blank Label

The success of Blank Label reflect the times of today where customers are not only more educated about fashion, but also want something more than just the traditional shopping experience of walking into a store and making a purchase from what is presented. The fact of the matter is, we live in a deeply customized-centered culture. Whether it is choosing our toppings at Pinkberry, placing a photo into our desktop background, or decorating our smart phones with skins and cell phone accessories, we like to have choices and feel unique. Do a Google search of "customized" anything -- customized stickers, wallpaper, towels, etc. -- you are sure to find a store that will do it for you. With globalization and technology, practically everything we purchase is made in mass quantities. Therefore, the ability to customize is, and will continue to be, essential. It offers a sense of ownership and a deeper personal relationship between the object and it's user, making the product distinctive from the rest.

photo via: Vans

And fashion is no exception. We are aware that Blank Label is not an entirely revolutionary concept; let's not forget that footwear brands like Vans, Nike, and Converse have all been offering customized shoes for some time now. But nonetheless, Blank Label's focus on tailored shirts is a simple yet brilliant concept that we are excited about. So instead of giving you our opinion, we take you straight to the source as we reached out to one of the founders, Danny Wong, for a quick interview to share with our readers.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and the company. 
Blank Label is the brainchild of Fan Bi and Danny Wong, two young entrepreneurs looking to change the way men shop, starting with co-created dress shirts. Our other two founding partners are Zeeshan Muhammad and Alec Harrison. We have been around for about six months now, launched in November 2009. We value affordable luxury and the ability to design-your-own, or co-create your own, products, since standard styles and sizes do not work for everyone. Consumers should be able to get a product individually made for them, at a less-than-outrageous price. That's why our custom dress shirts start at $45. 

2. How did you get the idea of starting a customized shirt business?
Fan and I loved the idea of custom clothing, and we wanted to put a real neat spin on it. We originally ran Blank Label as a custom tailor shop selling suits and dress shirts, which would be made-to-measure, but the business had some issues of its own. We decided to scrap that business and build something we thought was sexier. Something that would be far more appealing than something your local tailor would offer. We chose the co-created dress shirt because you could really customize every aspect of the dress shirt and still look casual and not over-the-top. I suppose it was also a great test product too, and we were right because we've been doing co-created dress shirts ever since we launched.

3. Who is your customer? How international are your clients?
Our customer is the new-age male who is slightly metrosexual, cares about his style, appreciates a good fit, hates buying off the rack since most other guys can buy the same shirts, and is a middle to middle-upper class male. Most of our customers are US local, but our other big markets are the UK, Spain and Australia.

4. You are based in Boston, but the shirts are made in Shanghai. How did you determine which factory to work with and how do you regulate the quality & production of your factory?
We are currently in Shanghai for the summer, but when we first set up production, we visited a decent amount of tailors and production facilities and found one we had great synergy with. We have someone who is paid for Quality Assurance, so we are confident our product is quality while still being affordable.

5. Do you have any plans to expand Blank Label and offer customization for other types garments? Womenswear?
We have thought about doing women's custom dress shirts, but we don't because we aren't ready to expand, plus we are only four guys who don't know enough about women's fashion other than what looks good and what doesn't on a woman. Other thoughts have been going back to doing suits, maybe trousers, jackets, boxers, etc. 

6. What has been the most challenging part of running Blank Label?
The most challenging thing has been building demand for co-created product. Most consumers are happy with product and industries the way they are now, but we are looking to influence consumers to be more co-creation conscious to have more men actively searching for co-created dress shirts, which mean more business for us, and more supporters of co-creation, which is just good overall because we are looking to change the world so in a few years, anyone can get a whole custom outfit they co-created without paying a premium price, even if Blank Label didn't co-create it. 

7. As technology is advancing, how do you see the fashion retail industry changing over the next several years?
The Fashion retail industry might start using more advanced tech like augmented reality, hologramming, or just better designer applications where consumers can easily design product without ever using a needle or thread. 

8. Where is your fabric from?
Our fabric is sourced here in mills in China. 

9. What is your view on the rise of eco-friendly fashion?
Eco-friendly fashion is definitely a valuable market. Consumers want to reduce their carbon footprint and if they can get a nice product and know they are helping the environment, they are happy. 

10. Do you offer eco-friendly options? Is Blank Label eco and/or socially conscious? And if so, how?
While we do not have eco-friendly fabrics, we operate as a eco-friendly business because we are not wasteful like most retail stores since we only produce product when consumers demand it. Normal retail stores try predicting demand and there's an inefficiency there because they might underproduce which just makes for a lot of 'wanting' customers or they might overproduce which leads to waste when they can't sell off product, especially with high-end fashion which would prefer to burn clothes rather than discount them to sell all inventory or give them away to charity since they do not want to devalue their brand. 

11. For anyone else interested in a start up company, what are some of the lessons you have learned and can share from your own experience?
Some lessons we've learned are that you have to be prepared for scary surprises, and good surprises as well because sometimes good things can turn bad, really quickly. Understand that crazy things happen, and be very flexible with your business too. Being customer-driven is also very important because you live and die by your customers so taking their advice to heart is incredibly important and using their suggestions to improve your business is a valuable way of leveraging user feedback.

MBF exclusive: S/S 2010 runway report out now!

As promised, here's a preview of MBF's exclusive look at the Spring 2010 runway shows in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. We've broken it down for you by theme and specifics, so if you were wondering which colors, silhouettes, fabrics, prints, or embellishments are going to be big this season... look no further!

The full report is available for $300 as a high-res PDF; email news@mbf-trend-consulting.com to place an order.

NYC print shows: an MBF exclusive report

Last week, MBF visited Direction by Indigo and PrintSource, where we spoke to a lively mix of established and up-and-coming print designers about their hottest trends for fall 2010.

While individual styles varied, the recurring themes were clear-cut: an overall move towards abstraction and textural prints, as painterly florals move into blurrier, barely-recognizable territory; nature motifs of feathers, leaves, and animal skins cropped up in neutral tones, morphing into blotchy, spotted abstract motifs; paisleys evolved into baroque scroll prints. On a more futuristic note, large-scale digital prints continued from previous seasons, some with a pixellated texture. Colorful, linear 3-d effect crystal prints and firework prints coexisted with flat, graphic black-and-cream geometric shapes, often with a pop of pink, orange, yellow, or blue.

At Direction, London-based Sukhanlee was having a surprisingly slow day, in spite of her whimsical, geometric collection. The first-time exhibitor, a RCA graduate who has collaborated with film director Wong Kar-Wai, was watching and learning, observing that "abstract splashy prints" were doing well, and that prints on the whole were, as we also noted, more abstract this season. Color, she felt, was denser and darker than usual; an observation echoed by Australian print house Karolina York, where a jewel-toned Cheshire Cat print was selling like hot cakes, followed by abstracted florals and what they called "non-prints" — splotchy, spongy, irregular prints. Their vintage illustration-inspired, gothic style was doing well among buyers, with prints on black bases — or just monochrome black.

Photos, from left: Sukhanlee FW10; Karolina York for Tigerlily, SS09; Sukhanlee FW10.