First lady Peng Liyuan spurs boom in demand for home-grown labels

First lady Peng Liyuan's choice of home-grown designer brands on her maiden overseas trip with President Xi Jinping has been hailed as a boon for China's fashion industry, yearning for its own "Jason Wu moment".

Wu is the Taiwanese-Canadian designer who shot to fame after US first lady Michelle Obama wore one of his designs.

Peng, 50, who is making her first public appearances in state visits to Russia and Africa, has become a fashion icon in China, as people flock to snap up coats, scarfs and handbags similar to those she has been seen wearing.

Images of her stepping off a plane with her husband in Moscow on Friday have circulated widely on the Chinese internet, prompting praise for her understated yet sophisticated style.

Stocks of mainland high-end clothing firms surged yesterday on the expectation that "the first-lady effect" would be big boost for the domestic fashion sector.

Eagle-eyed fashion-savvy bloggers identified the leather handbag and smart, double-breasted black trench coat she wore as items from Guangzhou-based label Exception. The brand has been described as one of China's leading independent labels whose simple but unique designs stand out in an industry dominated by Western copycats.