Dama face up to creating trendy global statement
A woman wears a "facekini" in Qingdao, Shandong province. Wang Haibin/for China Daily |
News of the facekini appearing in CR Fashion Book has been among the 10 most popular topics in China on Sina Weibo, the country's Twitter-like service.
Facekinis are popular in the coastal city of Qingdao, where the majority of wearers are middle-aged women who cherish pale skin.
Media mogul Hung Huang, who runs iLook Magazine, a publication highlighting China's growing fashion industry, said, "It shows that fashion can draw inspiration from anywhere and anyone."
Hugo Yu, deputy editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar China, said, "The facekini shoots are to record interesting moments in a fun, creative and ironic way," adding that they are also designed to present differences in aesthetics and lifestyles between East and West.
China has played a role in shaping global fashion trends in recent years.
In 2007, Louis Vuitton adopted the red-white-and-blue bags popular among Chinese migrant workers for its new collection. In 2009, Michael Kors presented colorful fuzzy caps inspired by the Lei Feng cap in China.
Amelie Li, a fashion columnist for Chinese media website Sina.com who has lived in Hong Kong for years, said: "Like the facekini, the red-white-and-blue fabric bags are designed for use, not for beauty. However, these products have been increasingly used by the international fashion world, indicating that China is attracting more global attention."
However, she believes that regardless of fashion trends, Chinese dama will wear the most comfortable clothing.
"The facekini may turn out to be a fashion trend someday," she said.