CHINA CHIC:FASHIONING ORIGINAL IDEAS

By Li Xiaoyang

Chris Mai， a freelancer in her 30s living in Ningbo， Zhejiang Province， is a fan of BAN XIAOXUE， an apparel brand boasting original natureoriented designs. Most of the companys clothes have a fairy-like feel to them， with price tags ranging from a dozen to several hundred dollars. First learning about the brands existence two years ago， she has now become a regular customer of its stores.

“I like the delicate yet melodious design of their clothes. They look special and elegant， but are also comfortable，” she told Beijing Review.

BAN XIAOXUE was established by Ban Xiaoxue， a Chinese designer， back in 2012. According to Ban， in an interview with Beijing Review， his design inspiration mainly derives from natural scenes and traditional， almost folkloric， styles. He intends to create clothes that integrate both contemporary and traditional Chinese elements and fit seamlessly into the daily life of the woman on the go.

Up until some five years ago， domestically designed clothing was not popular with Chinese consumers. Yet as the demand for originally designed clothes is on the rise， the brand has seen a jump in sales figures and gained wider attention， especially after the heroine of Rattan， an online fantasy drama that went viral earlier this year， was seen wearing its 2019 collection throughout the show， Ban said. It set the trend and created an appetite for clothes adorned with traditional patterns and references such as Chinese ink-painting.

Like BAN XIAOXUE， many homegrown apparel brands with innovative designs have seen expanding sales in recent years. Chinese consumers， especially the younger generations， have shown an upgraded sartorial gusto craving high quality as well as unique and fashionable designs. The combination of the factors has thrust Chinas apparel design industry to the next level.

Indigenous elements

For Chinese designers， their own culture and aesthetics are not contradictory to current trends as fashion tends to repeat itself. Traditional elements are adopted on a large scale， making the China chic styles progressively popular. According to a report released by market consultancy iiMedia Research earlier this year， the younger generations have developed a growing confidence in their own heritage and showcased more affection toward homegrown brands featuring more refined quality and design.

Many domestic apparel and shoe brands， especially sportswear enterprises， have revived their design by adding a zest of China chic. Founded in 1990， Li Ning， a sportswear company， suffered losses of over 30 billion yuan （$4.6 billion） in 2012-14 due to over-expansion. During New York Fashion Week in February 2018， it presented a collection adorned with distinctive Chinese elements such as Chinese characters during the specially designated China Day showcase. The consequent global following resulted in a financial turnaround. Since then， the company has remained on the China chic track.