Bold fashion: the Chinese designer and founder of Chictopia, Beijing-based label that creates party dresses for confident young women
- Christine Lau’s collection for spring/summer next year is loosely inspired by the feminist movement, as well as the punk aesthetic, of the 1970s
- Lau was born in Beijing, before moving to Hong Kong, then Britain, where she studied at Central Saint Martins in London
Punchy colours, impactful prints and whimsical humour – these are all trademarks of designer Christine Lau.
The founder of fashion brand Chictopia makes flamboyant clothing designed to be worn for parties, or special occasions, by confident young women, and it shows in her collections.
It certainly takes a certain verve to hit the town in a dress that is plastered with images of shellfish, or an oversized fluorescent green T-shirt overlaid with the word “famous”, floral shorts and fishnet tights.
Lau’s latest collection, for spring/summer next year, is loosely inspired by the feminist movement of the 1970s, and punk and rock influences from that era. The newspaper-style typography that featured on the Sex Pistols’ seminal punk album Never Mind the Bo****ks, Here’s the Sex Pistols , adorns a number of pieces in the 60-item collection, for example.
“There is a lot of creativity among the students, the vibe is really inspiring,” says Lau, who was born in Beijing and as a nine-year old moved with her parents to Hong Kong, where she attended Precious Blood Primary School and Cheung Chuk Shan College, before heading to Britain for further studies.
“Moving there was a big change for me – I had never left home before,” she recalls. “The first day I moved into the residents’ hall, I was told that someone had been shot the day before – that was my first impression. London is an interesting city, it has a mix of cultures and each area is different.”
Living in London gave Lau the confidence that the tricks of the trade she acquired at college could be turned into a successful business in China. After graduation, she went back to Beijing and founded Chictopia.
The softly spoken Lau does not produce conservative office-lady staples; almost every piece is vividly colourful with an attention-grabbing twist, such as a bow, frills, or shockingly bright hues.
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“I think clothes can express the real [person]. I don’t really speak that much, I am not that good at expressing myself, but I think that fashion as a medium is a very good way to express myself, the inner me. I think there are many designers like me who spend most of our time on designing clothes and imagining other people wearing them. ”
It’s not just punk and feminism that have inspired her current collection – there are also a few bold flower-power pieces based on crayon drawings created by her three-year-old daughter, Asia.
The average price per piece works out at around US$320 (HK$2,500), slightly less for clothing in the second line, Chictopia Chic (aimed at a younger audience with a more “girlie” sensibility). Both are available on Tmall, the upscale online retail channel that is playing an increasingly important role in pushing sales in China. The lines are also available at two stand-alone stores in Beijing, and at Lane Crawford outlets in China and Hong Kong. (Tmall is operated by Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post.)
“Until two years ago I thought online was for cheaper clothes, not higher-priced designer clothes,” says Lau. “But we opened on Tmall. They are supporting designer brands. The way of sales is changing in China. Many of our customers are [previous] customers who have stopped going to the stores and now buy through WeChat.”
Lau’s life is clearly a good one. Her home, office and school are all in the same downtown district, and she has a thriving business with a loyal client base.
Her clientele tend to be women aged between 20 and 40, who have experience of studying, or working, abroad, with many being individuals who work in the creative industries.
Major changes in Lau’s personal life came about after she hired Canadian graphic designer Ronald Tau, who runs the company Meat Studio, to spruce up Chictopia’s visual packaging. Their professional relationship developed into a personal one, culminating in marriage and the birth of their daughter, Asia, three years ago.
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“We wanted to do something fun,” says the always smiling Lau, whose irrepressibly upbeat philosophy is applied to her fashion designs, and to life in general.
