Shanghai’s Bai Sher, Heizi Go Beyond “Fu Gu” Retro And Create New Designs With Old Materials
Designer Xiao Xiao (Photo: Peijin Chen/CNNGo)
Yesterday, Jing Daily looked at Shanghai’s role as a “muse” for many international luxury brands, and the transformative effect that the city is having on their long-term China strategy. Although the city is developing (or rather, nurturing) a reputation as China’s luxury epicenter, an interesting trend we’ve been watching is the emergence of more — and more confident — home-grown designers and boutiques in Shanghai. These designers, inspired by vintage or retro Chinese fashion or the handicrafts of the country’s 55 minority groups, are creating unique items that reflect both China’s deep history as well as its current dynamism.
Recently, we profiled one of these Shanghai-based designers, who goes by the nickname “Heizi” (black guy). Heizi’s jewelry designs, which are inspired by the traditional designs of Chinese ethnic minorities and assembled mainly from pieces Heizi has collected in his travels, are catching on among some of Shanghai’s more adventurous “accessorizers.” As we wrote at that time, while ethnic-influenced fashion and jewelry might remain very much a niche market in luxury-obsessed China, in China’s increasingly picky and sophisticated first-tier cities like Shanghai, it is highly probable that younger or more experimental fashion lovers might become more interested in styles that call back to China’s remote countryside in coming years.
This week, CNNGo talked to another young Shanghai designer, Xiao Xiao, who is finding inspiration in his hometown’s cosmopolitan past. Luckily for his fans, Xiao Xiao’s designs, whether inspired by or assembled from vintage items, are far more exclusive yet affordable than those sold in Shanghai’s luxury boutiques. From the article:
As the article concludes, young independent designers like Xiao Xiao have their work cut out for them. Currently, with most younger Chinese still in something of a “honeymoon” period in regards to imported luxury and fashion, vintage or vintage-inspired fashion will likely remain a niche populated mostly by the avant-garde (or expats) for the time being. However, this could change sooner than many might think, and already is starting to change — as street fashion observers like Stylites in Beijing or Jiepai (Chinese) regularly document.
As for Xiao Xiao, it seems his main focus at the moment is to inspire other young designers to branch out and try new things, in the hopes of building a stronger platform for collaboration:
Bai Sher (摆设)
866 Yan’an Zhong Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu, Shanghai.
延安中路866号, 近陕西北路
[email protected]