Chinese Fashion

In the Mood for Love; 2000; Wong Kar-Wai

I watched this movie again and I am still struck by how glorious those dresses worn by Maggie Cheung are. The sheer elegance of a fitted womanly form, the high collar emphasizing the slender neck and the allure of a long skirt punctured by a high slit showing just a bit of skin. The Chinese cheongsam can at times be such a breathtaking piece of art. The movie made me want to rush out to get my very own tailored cheongsams too! 

But here's the business question: will Chinese fashion make it global? While most agree that China is a force to reckon with in terms of consumer power in the fashion industry, does it have the same might when it comes to exporting its own fashion? Evidently, China has a lot to offer by way of culture. Yet I am sensing a psychological barrier to successful globalization of Chinese fashion. 

The cheongsam is a good example. As much as I gawk at its beauty and want to own a piece myself, despite being Chinese, I would probably only see myself wearing it during Chinese New Year celebrations or traditional Chinese events such as a Chinese wedding. Would I want to wear this to a romantic dinner with my boyfriend, a girls' night out or even a black tie event? Probably not. And I suspect the majority of Chinese girls feel like I do. The truth is Asian consumers, especially the younger generations, still prefer to dress in a Western fashion which is perceived to be superior and at least, more modern. Arguably this perception is changing -- brands like Hermes and even Zara are altering their designs to cater to the Asian fashion palate. But I think we are still a long way away from a cheongsam made by a local Chinese designer carrying its own weight on the red carpet as a Versace gown. 

The brand that has tried to internationalize Chinese fashion is Shanghai Tang. Founded in 1994 by Hong Kong businessman David Tang and now owned by Richemont, the brand set out to reinvigorate Chinese fashion by infusing traditional Shanghainese styles with the modernity of the 21st century. Yet, from where I am from, I have never met a single female who tells me she shops at Shanghai Tang or indeed has stepped into its stores. The problem is simply that its collections are too 'Chinese' and a glance at its window displays reveals that. Its aim to take  Chinese fashion to the global stage is original and laudable but the Chinese market, not to mention the international one, is simply not ready. The internationalization of Chinese fashion is a slow process and a brand like Shanghai Tang need to ease its consumers into accepting Chinese fashion and not bombarding them with Chinese prints and Mao collars from the get-go. 

Well, it remains to be seen what Shanghai Tang and Chinese fashion can achieve in the future. But for now, I'm off to get my tailored cheongsam for next Chinese New Year!