Trendspotter

Sally, 23

Publicity Management, Shanghai

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Project Runway has been drawing attention in China since it was released on ICS (International Channel Shanghai). Hoping to cash in on the concept, Channel Young in Shanghai presented a similar design talent show, My Style, which attracted a large number of domestic and foreign fashion designers.

In Season 2, 2010 (season 1 aired in 2008), topics were more related to the hottest and most fashionable events in Shanghai including the 2010 World Expo, Fashion Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival.

In the fifth round of the show, “Everybody, Let’s T-shirt”, Xue Lijuan and Xu Xiaomin won the competition and got a chance to sell their winning work, a T-shirt with a postmark on it and one with a Chinese door, in Giordano stores at a low price.

Despite this easy recipe to impress Chinese youth (take young designers, add publicity and an easy price point for let’s say – T-shirts), the show does not seem to be hitting the mark with its target audience.

I didn’t watch My Style very often. I don’t see the contestants’ individual style in their designs clearly. And honestly, that winning T-shirt is just not that cute or impressive to me.

-          Zhou Wei, 24, male, Graduate, Nantong

I only watched My Style season 1 back in 2008. I didn’t keep up with season 2 because it was so boring and lame, plus it looked just like a lousy copycat of Project Runway. I really hope they won’t make the audience play the fool any more.

-          Olivia, 23, female, English Teacher, Shanghai

Hermès isn’t the only name producing an entirely new brand for the Chinese market; Levis has just announced the opening of a shop in Shanghai for its ‘made-for-China’ brand dENIZEN. dENIZEN is marketed toward a wider range of Chinese consumers – the recent runway showed fashionable styles worn with boots and heels, not just casual t-shirts and sneaker. dENIZEN is a great way for a classic brand to revamp itself as hip and fashionable, but will the style be more important to the Chinese consumer than the recognizable brand name of Levis?

The latest in ‘tech’ toys, a Barbie doll that allows you to record your own video and add on special effect. Only 400 units in the whole of China and available exclusively at Barbie Shanghai.

Pechoin was created in Shanghai in the 1930s and was the first choice amongst wealthy women for decades. However, in more recent years, Pechoin was being sold in supermarkets and became know amongst middle aged women as much for its low cost as its wonderful effects. At the China Beauty Expo this summer, Pechoin unveiled its new products along with its new face – spokesmodel Karen Mok, a famous Hong Kong model and singer.  Both Ms. Mok and Pechoin are getting mixed responses to this union.

On Karen Mok’s Baidu bar, her fans are quite excited about the endorsement, claiming they are going to change their regular skin care products to Pechoin’s. “It’s going to be Karen’s new ad! I will buy a whole set of whatever she endorses,” said Wei Wenwei, one of her fans on Baidu bar.  Other fans are concerned how her endorsement will change the time-honored Pechoin brand. Sarah, 21, female, Taicang (Jiangsu Province) says, “Karen Mok doesn’t suit Pechoin at all.  It just feels weird.  You know, a hot star endorses an old Shanghai brand which has been very inexpensive and accepted by everyday people for a long time.  I am afraid the price of Pechoin will be raised.”

Shanghai is dotted with malls full of foreign retail. A few popular brands have tried to ‘localize’ themselves with little success; remember last year when Chanel branded with its Chinese name香奈儿? Netizens such as Antonia, 22, female, Shanghai, laughed at this “nonsense design, just trying to pander to Chinese customers.” While Chinese consumers clearly value name brands, part of the appeal seems to be their non-native status. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in domestic design amongst individualistic youth who are drawn to apparel based solely aesthetic.

Rouched pants from MAY.J and fitting room curtains at Gloss.  The curtains are made from sewn together pairs of Levi and Nudie jeans.

The boutique shop Gloss in Xintiandi, Shanghai, carries MAY.J, a line of men and women’s clothing from a local designer. “This brand offers unique designs,” said the boutique manager Kiki. And customers are willing to pay: “Her products cost thousands of RMB, but are popular.” The MAY.J collection offers a wide variety of apparel from street style to Shanghai Qipao (traditional dresses), selling women’s clothing on the Bund and men’s clothing in Xintiandi.
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Just as LV and Gucci purses are prized more as a luxury status items than functional bags, current marketing campaigns in Shanghai are focusing on apartments as high-end items.  This ad near Xintiandi (one of the most expensive areas in Shanghai) emphasizes the ‘art of luxury’ as the theme for their housing development; whereas the the theme of a home used to be comfort and security, this company is banking on the value people associate with the costly and luxurious.

Chinese luxury brand Shanghai Tang is partnering with LUXE city guides on a limited edition White Tiger collection box, celebrating the year of the tiger.  Only 70 of these hand-crafted chests will be sold, available directly from LUXE’s website for $1,500 USD (approximately 10,000 RMB).