FASHION WEEK BRINGS SUCCESS BY DESIGN

After participating in the autumn/winter Shanghai Fashion Week in early April, Raphael Deray, a senior buyer for the French department store Printemps, admitted that his first trip to the city was hugely beneficial.

"I have found many excellent designers in China. This trip to Shanghai Fashion Week is a great opportunity for us to discover new designers and introduce them to the European market," he says.

Besides Deray, buyers from the En Culture boutique in Tel Aviv were also delighted to see many fresh and interesting designs during the fashion week. They also decided to recommend more Chinese designer brands to their core customer base.

"We've been introducing Chinese designers to the Israeli market for the past two years, and the reception has been very positive. In search for new designer brands, we found many interesting and innovative designs and approaches to fashion in Chinese designers. That's why we chose to attend Shanghai Fashion Week to discover more brands and expand our selection," says Veronica Yakubov, a buyer from En Culture.

With the rapid recovery of domestic and international exchanges in the fashion field, Shanghai Fashion Week has not only seen an increase in buyers and audiences from all over the country but also welcomed long-awaited visits from overseas buyers and professionals.

According to the Shanghai Fashion Week Committee, this season's MODE fashion exhibition saw a 59 percent increase in audience and a 49.8 percent increase in buyers compared to the previous season.

In addition to regions and cities where buyers shops gather, such as the Yangtze River Delta region, Beijing, Chengdu in Sichuan province, and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, there has also been a significant increase in buyers from Shandong, Liaoning, and Hubei provinces.

Ding Meimei, who is in charge of an ordering platform for buyers shop DFO Showroom, points out that about 60 percent of buyers were first-time visitors during this season.

Along with the increase in domestic fashion audiences, professionals, buyers and fashion representatives from abroad are also seeking excellent local designers.

"I have been attracted by several brands," Deray says. "The design of Christopher Raxxy's down jacket is unique, incorporating weaving inspiration, with excellent quality and moderate price. Chengguang Wang's design may seem traditional, but there are innovations in the silhouette and many interesting details in the back cutting and lining."

Founded in Paris in 1865, Printemps is a world-leading department store for fashion, luxury, and beauty with more than 15 locations in France, Qatar, and soon in the United States.

According to Deray, up to 5 percent of fashion brands in Printemps are from Chinese designers, but the trend is growing.

"I'm very interested in Chinese designers and I think they are full of potential. They are creative, and always have something they want to express and are able to access good factories and fabrics."

He explains that Chinese customers have a special attraction to international luxury and designer brands. With the market getting more mature, it is clear that those same customers are also slowly turning toward local brands.

"For us international players, this is particularly interesting as the Chinese used to be a big part of our business before COVID-19. Hence, with the borders reopening, it really does make sense for us to work with Chinese brands," he adds.

Deray adds that since many of the young Chinese designers went to study at world-leading fashion and design colleges in fashion hubs such as London and Paris, to occupy more market in international buyers shops is just a question of time.

"I am keen on discovering new talent that may have been spurred in the last couple of years, in the hope of introducing them to the French market. It will also be the occasion to check on the new trends that are popular among Chinese fashionistas. This will be very valuable to guide me in my next buying decisions," Deray says, adding that he is also looking forward to visiting some retail stores in China, especially in Shanghai, which has always been very innovative on fashion.

According to buyers Yakubov and Dan Pollak from En Culture, to satisfy the curiosity of their core customers, buyers must strive to find new designs and designers, and they have seen many fresh and interesting designs and new cooperation opportunities in MODE.

"Many Chinese designer brands use innovative fashion technology in their works to showcase a unique style, and I believe they will be loved by customers," Yakubov says.

Besides the Shanghai Fashion Week's effect, the well-known buyers store Mytheresa is also actively cooperating with Chinese designers, launching its first collaborated exclusive capsule collections in April.

To support young and talented Chinese designers, Mytheresa launched the China Designer program in November. The designers have been chosen by a high-profile jury comprising Ye Mingzi, CEO of Guoye Culture, Feng Chuxuan, founder of Huasheng Media, and Tiffany Hsu, vice-president of womenswear and kidswear fashion at Mytheresa.

Susan Fang, Didu, Jacques Wei and Xu Zhi were the four designers selected from the program and each created more than 10 pieces within their capsule. Mytheresa will be stocking the designers' mainlines for at least three seasons.

"This is a very positive trend that overseas buyers have started to focus on the Chinese designer market in recent years," says Xu Hang, president for China and Asia-Pacific at Mytheresa.

"Compared with international designer brands, Chinese designer brands have the advantage of being able to dig deeper into Chinese culture and craftsmanship to create unique design styles and products," he adds.

He further points out that it is great for many international buyers to pay attention to Chinese designers because, on the other side, they will get more support, too.

"With the assistance of Mytheresa, Chinese designer brands get wider international exposure through Mytheresa's platform and social media channels," Xu Hang says.

For example, Jacques Wei got a lot of international customer opinion after releasing on the Mytheresa platform and Susan Fang also learned the latest consumer trends.

"The China Designer program demonstrates our appreciation for the Chinese designers and our commitment to support local talent development," Xu Hang says.