Fashion

Runway success

By Gan Tian (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-01 08:25

Top: Fashionable women with big sunglasses pose for a photo in a Beijing park in this photo taken in the early 1980s. Above: Models perform in front of the Bird's Nest as part of the Beijing International Tourism Festival on Oct 23, 2009. Top: Wang Wenlan / China Daily; Above: Jiang Dong / China Daily

Any middle-aged Chinese man who wants to appear fashionable these days would have heard of two labels - Pierre Cardin and Septwolves. During the 1980s and 1990s, these two labels injected some color into Chinese menswear that was dominated by gray, blue and black. Pierre Cardin was the first foreign label to enter China, while Septwolves was one of the first local fashion labels to stand out.

The French label was also famous for two women: Song Huaigui and Fang Fang.

Song is widely considered as the pioneer of China's fashion history and was the symbol of the 1970s and 1980s, while Fang represented the 1990s.

In 1970, the designer Pierre Cardin presented dresses and coats with kimono sleeves and large round cutouts. In 1978, the company entered China and set up its first boutiques.

Cardin also met Song Huaigui in Paris in 1980, beginning a 30-year collaboration. Song was the general agent for Pierre Cardin in China and the manager of Maxim's restaurant.

In the early 1990s, Fang was in her 20s. As Song's assistant, her work included meeting dealers, picking models and running the business.

Fang's office is now hidden in the St. Regis Hotel Beijing, in a quiet area near the capital's Ritan Park, but she leads a busy life.

As CEO of Pierre Cardin China, she has to fly to Paris to meet Cardin frequently, prepare the label's two dazzling fashion shows each year and deal with nonstop interview requests.

But she never feels tired.

"Fashion was long dismissed in China as bourgeois. Although the door was open, plain blue, green and black still dominated Chinese clothing," Fang says.

As the first fashion label entering China, Pierre Cardin did not operate directly in this market, Fang recalls.

When Song was in charge, she developed the agent business model. The French label collaborated with the local Tianjin Jinda Garment, which better understood the Chinese market. It solidified Pierre Cardin's reputation by opening a few shops in Tianjin.

In the following years, the brand signed contracts with a number of other companies to sell its products. They were given the authority to design their own products. After being approved by Pierre Cardin, the products could be sold on the Chinese market, marking the first international collaboration in the country's fashion industry.

"At that time, I often heard my friends telling me they picked Pierre Cardin as they had to go to the office. There were not many options for formal wear at the time," Fang says.

She also remembers well how Song managed the business then. There were no professional models in China. When Song saw a good-looking clerk in the bank, or a pretty waitress in the hotel, she would ask them whether they would like to catwalk for the label.

"I was amazed that our office was always full of handsome guys and beautiful girls," Fang says.

Song died shortly before the autumn and winter 2006/07 fashion show, and Fang took over the business in 2005, becoming the present CEO of Pierre Cardin China.

Since then, the company has held two fashion shows every year to showcase its latest products. Fang also brought in a line of jeans and a casual collection.

"We want our consumers to see that Pierre Cardin can also be young and passionate," she says.

After Pierre Cardin, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci moved in during the 1990s. At the same time, some local fashion companies started to shine.

Septwolves, founded in 1990 in Fujian province, was one of them. The label soon ushered in a casual style for menswear.

The Chinese label is also known for its French head designer Daniel Faret.

Faret came from Paris to explore the fashion business in China. He did not know much about the country's fashion industry in the 1980s and 1990s, but he saw the potential in the first decade of this century and believes a new chapter is in store.

He paid his first visit to Beijing in November 2000 for China Fashion Week. At that time, most menswear was still plain, but Faret noticed a few domestic menswear labels that had good quality and designs.

Faret's friends introduced him to Septwolves' executives who were looking for a European designer.

"We were also looking for a very serious partner in China. We came here frequently, so we already knew customers' behavior, habitsand rules of the Chinese companies," Faret says.

With his help, the brand invited its five top-tier male celebrities to be their spokesmen, including Chinese actors Hu Jun, Chang Chen and director Lu Chuan, to build a healthy and elegant image.

Faret is also pushing Septwolves' international image. He is creating some clothes for celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves and Mick Jagger. British band Jamiroquai also wanted a special nylon and cotton silver suit for their music video from Faret.

"I (want to) bring the company our European taste and style, in order to help them become an international fashion label," Faret says.

But the past decade has been a slight culture shock for Faret. He noticed that Chinese customers did not take to linen fabrics and colors. He is still trying to match his own taste and culture to Chinese preferences.

Faret, like Fang in Pierre Cardin, continues to fly to Paris frequently. He is on a mission to bring in more European styles from London or Milan.

He is also exploring China's fashion scene: What kind of fashion do Chinese people like? What lifestyle do they prefer?

Faret believes now is the best time for the fashion industry. He does not worry that Chinese people have difficulty absorbing and learning ideas from abroad.

Sometimes, Faret has to fight to "impose" new styles and products, because some of his Chinese colleagues always argue that they are not appropriate for the Chinese market.

"They don't know that Chinese customers are ready to accept the latest fashion," he says.

His latest creations for Septwolves are inspired by Greek soprano Maria Callas.

"Ten years ago, Chinese people would have trouble accepting the silhouettes and styles," Faret says.

"The Chinese market moves very quickly and customers want more designs. Now, they want international collections and products more than ever."

(China Daily 06/01/2011 page49)