Wear green in many colors

By Carissa Welton (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-12 10:43

Boutique owner, collector and custom designer, Alicia Lee, hasn't had much sleep since opening her shop in June of last year.

Perched above a nail salon in a hidden alley in Sanlitun dominated by pedestrian traffic, WillowWillow has quickly soared to the top of the city's fashion radar, with Lee's very own haute couture pieces appearing in designer magazines and hanging in the closets of Beijing celebrities.

"I only use natural or eco-friendly fibers in my designs," says Lee, embracing the growing trend of sustainable and ethical practices in the fashion world. To add to their Earth-friendly standard of business, all purchases are folded into small or large WillowWillow canvas-made, reusable, carrying totes.

Lee and her Canadian husband/business partner, Jose Lord, launched the boutique's second collection this summer: Lost in Peach Blossom Land.

Elegant summer cocktail dresses, sassy-smart blouses skirts and naughty a-little-shorter-than-short-shorts cut with classic yet imaginative lines and curves make up the collection. Each piece is created with organic based lyocell fabric, raw silk or a combination of both materials.

Examining the soft drape of one sleeveless, knee-length dress with a fan-fold neckline and teasing open back, Lee draws my attention to the removable shoulder pads, which are "coming back in a big way this year and will be seen a lot more in the future".

WillowWillow also designs a line of originally created leisure-wear, quirky Tees. Bug Ville is the result of direct collaboration with Argentinean comic artist Lucia Mancilla Prieto. Incorporating a comic series by the artist (including buttons, stickers, and storybooks), each customer can choose his or her own style and design of silk screen print limited edition tank tops (women, 158 yuan), T-shirts (men/women, 178 yuan) or polo shirts (women, 198 yuan).

Lee and Lord's sense for unique and unusual design goes beyond their own creations. Customers with taste will be delighted to find the shelves showcasing an array of rare finds, including handbags and jewelry, collectable toys, and premier art and design catalogues.

101 Gate, Building 7, Number 42, Sanlitun South (across from Tongli Studio), Chaoyang district. 6417-5451

www.willowwillow.net

朝阳区三里屯

Story by Carissa Welton, photo by Jiang Dong