"At New York Fashion Week, China Syndrome"

[Erin]

This morning I came across this article in Forbes magazine.

Can anybody share their experience with/thoughts on this?

The world’s tastemakers are descending on New York for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, but the real action in the rag trade is across the Pacific.

“Asia is our biggest growth opportunity,” says Tadashi Yanai, the billionaire head of Fast Retailing, which controls Theory, Helmut Lang and Uniqlo. New markets: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea.

Designers are falling in line. Last month’s Paris shows featured searing red from Jean Paul Gaultier, reams of silk by Alexis Mabille and dragonlike embellishments at Armani Privé. (Witness also Louis Vuitton’s bustling new stores in Mongolia, Mandarin-speaking shop girls at Chanel Paris and Ralph Lauren’s recent Old Shanghai-themed runway show.)

Designer Vivienne Tam can attest to the shift. Her Asian styles have gone from struggling to sizzling. “When I started my collection people told me, ‘Vivienne, you will never be successful. Nobody will buy it because you’re Asian, your inspiration is from China.’” Last year sales at her Hong Kong boutique grew 40%; she expects more of the same in 2012. Talk about chasing the dragon.
Forbes.com

 

[lucy92]

well, china is now the 1# or #2 largest luxury market.

alexander wang announced this week that he plans on opening something like 13 stores there this year.

i havent noticed until lately that western designers are marketing specific collections towards chinese customers...

i think the assumption from many brands before was that chinese consumers wanted the same stuff that westerns wanted...

 

[NotAModel]

Well I suppose it makes perfect business sense doesn't it?

Though if you're worried you won't be able to get a day dress for all the silk dragon print kimonos then you’re probably worrying a bit much!

 

[Ives927]

I'm not really digging the choice of words here. Syndrome? It's as if it's a bad thing.

 

[softgrey]

dude- the China Syndrome is a movie ...and a famous movie, at that...
nominated for several academy awards...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Syndrome

that's where they got the name-that's all...just trying to be clever...
clearly, that isn't working with people who aren't aware of the film though...

...

 

[Ives927]

^ Clearly not everyone would be aware of such a film, myself included. The movie you speak of was made in 1979. The title of the movie and the article has nothing in common with the exception of China, so it's a reference that some would not understand (that is if they were referencing the film's title).

Nothing really offends me, but the word syndrome really throws me off. Quite frankly, I personally find it to be a poor choice of words. That's just my opinion.

 

[terpischoria]

I agree with Ives927. Syndrome wasn't a smart choice of words to talk about that. Perhaps because of this thought of China being a major fashion market, that triggered designers' inspirations to put a little of Asian culture in their collections?