Style-Phile: Top Trends From 2011

This year all eyes were on China’s consumer market. But what was happening on the inside? Revolutionary growth for the fashion and design industry, that’s what. We scoured our archives and identified the key developments in the local style scene from 2011.

Hutongs as Major Shopping Destinations
Nanluogu Xiang might have jumpstarted this trend, but the latest cool designer boutiques and vintage stores are finding homes in other less crowded hutongs (namely, Wudaoying, Fangjia and, more recently, Mao’er, Baochao and Beiluogu Xiang). Brand Nu nearly lost its space, before the community jumped in and raised the necessary funds to save it. Wuhao opened to the public and established regular business hours. Dong Liang Studio’s success led to the opening of a second branch in Shanghai. Triple-Major also expanded to Hong Kong. One of Nanluogu Xiang’s first retail residents, Plastered T-shirts, celebrated its fifth anniversary; meanwhile, NLGX Design Store launched a bicyclist brand (Kommute) and opened up a branch in Capital Airport.

Marked Progress for Homegrown Designers
While foreign brands are clamoring to enter China, Chinese designers are fast gaining confidence and credibility in the local market. (See our list on Chinese designers to watch here.) Vega Zaishi Wang is still going strong, having just released her Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Uma Wang received the Audi Progress in Design Award in early June; as a result, many speculate she will become China’s first internationally acclaimed designer. And let’s not forget that she, along with Christine Lau, Manchit Au (watch out for our interview with her in our March 2011 issue), Shangguan Zhe and Zou You, are making their international debut on TheCorner.com, a luxury e-commerce site that also stocks the likes of Balmain and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Other brands that have emerged or established a greater presence this year? Rfactory, Chi Zhang and CreativCulture, to name a few.

Surge in High-end Designer Stores
Now that China’s slated to become the world’s biggest consumer market, high-end labels are making their move. Lane Crawford’s numerous events are nothing new (although some are noteworthy, e.g. the Opening Ceremony pop-up shop attended by Chloe Sevigny and the Olivier Theyskens cocktail), but the debut of its more fashion-forward sister store, Joyce, certainly is. And don’t even get me started on Sanlitun Village North, which generated enough buzz to serve as a category all on its own. 2011 saw the openings of Alexander McQueen (complete with an extravagant fashion show at 798 Space, and a visit from creative director Sarah Burton herself), Martin Maison Margiela, Balenciaga, Lanvin and more. Alexander Wang promised a flagship store there in 2012 – something to look forward to already next year!

Luxury Fashion Brands Hosting Retrospective Exhibitions
When Western fashion houses debut in China, they want to make sure the Chinese masses are well aware of the history, strength and popularity of their brands. Diane von Furstenberg, of course, led the way back in April with her “Journey of a Dress” exhibition at 798 Pace Beijing. A month later, Louis Vuitton marked its 20th anniversary in China with a “Voyages” exhibition at the National Museum of China – the first partnership for the museum with any brand. Then came Bulgari’s “125 Years of Italian Magnificence” – also at the NMC – in September and Chanel’s “Culture Chanel”at the National Art Museum of China in November.

E-commerce Market Booming
An arguably less risky approach to wooing Chinese buyers is via the Internet. It’s no wonder e-shops have exploded as of late, from TheCorner.com.cn to Taobao’s T-mall to LaneCrawford.com. (You can find a more comprehensive list here.) Some online shops are even based in Beijing, including LuxBible.com (which just opened up a Lido showroom a couple months ago), AnyShopStyle.com and FEI Space’s FeiLook.com. These days you can even buy hongbao online. Word on the street is that Sina Weibo is developing its own e-commerce platform – we’ll have to wait until 2012 to see how this pans out.

Rise of Fast-Fashion Retail
H&M and Uniqlo have racked up huge followings with their super-successful designer collaborations (see here and here). China’s fast-fashion brand, Me&City, continues to feature foreign faces – most recently, Julia Restoin Roitfeld – in its campaigns as its primary marketing strategy. In other significant news, American retail giant, Gap, also came to Beijing.

Growing Awareness for Quality over Conspicuous Consumption
This is a slow process, but we swear it’s happening. The proof is in the handful of new independent boutiques that prioritize style and quality over conspicuous brand names. The stores that immediately jump to mind are Aura, House of Willow and the Monocle Shop.

Was there anything crucial that we missed? Set us straight with a comment below. And Happy New Year!

Photos: Paul Cheng